Japanese word

てんで

Pronunciation

Romajitende

Meaning

  • adverbnot at all

Example

彼の説明はてんで分かりません。kare no setsu mei wa te n de wa ka ri ma se n

I do not understand his explanation at all.

Illustration for てんで (not at all)

More examples

その答えはてんで見当違いです。so no kota e wa te n de ken tō chiga i de su

That answer is completely off the mark.

Core concept

It marks a complete lack of a quality or action, often making a negative statement stronger than simple absence.

Common phrases

  • てんで分からないte n de wa ka ra na i

    not understand at all

  • てんで話にならないte n de hanashi ni na ra na i

    not worth discussing at all

  • てんで相手にならないte n de ai te ni na ra na i

    be no match at all

Similar words

全然zenzen: Indicates that a quality or action is entirely absent, commonly with a negative predicate.
まったくmattaku: Emphasizes total absence or an extreme degree and can modify positive or negative statements.
ちっともchittomo: Indicates that something does not happen or exist even to a small degree.
さっぱりsappari: Indicates complete failure to understand, know, or achieve something.

Definition in Japanese

ある状態や程度にまったく達せず、少しもその傾向がないさま。a ru jō tai ya tei do ni ma tta ku tas se zu suko shi mo so no kei kō ga na i sa ma

Word origin

The adverb てんで (tende) is commonly explained as a shortened form of てんでんに (tenden ni), meaning "separately" or "each"; its exact historical development is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • For English-speaking learners, てんで (tende) usually means "not at all" when paired with a negative predicate, so the translation "entirely" can be misleading by itself.

Other meanings

  • entirelyadverb

Word lists with this word