そもそも

Also written 抑, 抑々, 抑抑

Meanings

1. Adverb, Noun in the first place; to begin with; from the start; originally; ab initio
2. Conjunction after all; anyway; actually; well, ...; ... on earth (e.g. "what on earth?"); ... in the world (e.g. "why in the world?") (used when bringing up something already mentioned)
3. Noun, の-adjective beginning; start

Example sentences

• そもそも事故の大半は熱帯雨林ではなく、身近な場所でおこるのである。
  Most accidents, after all, happen around the corner, not in the rainforest.
• そもそも君が来たとは驚いた。
  I'm surprised you came at all.
• そもそもなぜ鳥は移動するのだろうか。
  Why do birds migrate in the first place?
• そもそもここへ来ては行かなかったのです。
  You shouldn't have come here to begin with.
• そもそも話したの？
  Did you speak at all?

Word lists

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Jinuma: Japanese Dictionary · Word lists