English–Japanese
“in the first place” in Japanese
Japanese
Pronunciation
Romajisomosomo
Example
そもそも、なぜ来たのですか？so mo so mo na ze ki ta no de su ka
Why did you come in the first place?
How to say “in the first place” in Japanese
“In the first place” in Japanese is そもそも (somosomo).
Points back to the beginning or basic premise of a matter, often before questioning or reassessing it.
Example sentences with そもそも
その計画はそもそも、成功する見込みがありません。so no kei kaku wa so mo so mo sei kō su ru mi ko mi ga a ri ma se n
That plan has no chance of succeeding in the first place.
Tips for using そもそも
- Unlike a simple reference to the past, そもそも (somosomo) can challenge whether a plan or question was valid from the outset.