A1 Expression Neutre 1 min de lecture

あまり美味しくない

amari oishikunai

Not very delicious

Entraîne-toi

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use this phrase to politely express that food is not very good without sounding overly harsh.

  • Means: 'It is not very delicious' or 'It doesn't taste very good.'
  • Used in: Restaurants, home-cooked meals, or when giving feedback on snacks.
  • Don't confuse: Avoid saying '美味しくない' (not tasty) alone, as it sounds blunt.
Polite hesitation + 'not very' + 'tasty' = socially acceptable feedback

Explication à ton niveau :

This phrase means 'not very tasty.' Use it when you don't like food. It is polite and easy to say.
This is a common way to express a negative opinion about food in Japanese. By using 'amari,' you make your sentence softer and more polite. It is essential for daily conversation when you need to give feedback.
In Japanese, direct negation can be perceived as aggressive. 'Amari oishikunai' is a strategic use of a negative polarity item. It allows the speaker to maintain social harmony while still conveying a clear message about the quality of the meal.
The phrase functions as a pragmatic softener. By employing 'amari,' the speaker shifts the focus from an objective, absolute judgment ('it is bad') to a subjective, mitigated assessment ('it is not very good'). This is a hallmark of Japanese indirect communication styles.
This expression exemplifies the Japanese linguistic tendency toward 'hedging.' By utilizing the adverb 'amari' in conjunction with the negative form of the i-adjective 'oishii,' the speaker navigates the tension between 'honne' and 'tatemae.' It is a classic example of how Japanese grammar encodes social hierarchy and interpersonal distance.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, 'amari oishikunai' serves as a scalar negation. It places the experience on a spectrum rather than a binary, which is fundamental to Japanese social cognition. The phrase demonstrates how grammatical constraints (negative polarity) are co-opted for socio-pragmatic functions, effectively mitigating the face-threatening act of criticism.

Signification

Expressing that food does not taste very good.

🌍

Contexte culturel

Food is a reflection of the chef's spirit. Criticism is handled with extreme care.

💡

Use with a smile

Always smile when saying this to soften the blow.

💡

Use with a smile

Always smile when saying this to soften the blow.

Teste-toi

Fill in the blank with the correct form.

この料理は＿＿＿美味しくないです。

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : あまり

Amari is the correct adverb to use with negative adjectives.

🎉 Score : /1

Aides visuelles

Banque d exercices

2 exercices
Choisis la bonne réponse Fill Blank

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :
Fill in the blank with the correct form. Fill Blank A1

この料理は＿＿＿美味しくないです。

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : あまり

Amari is the correct adverb to use with negative adjectives.

🎉 Score : /2

Questions fréquentes

1 questions

Only if they ask for your honest opinion.

Expressions liées

🔗

美味しくない

contrast

Not tasty

Où l'utiliser

🍽️

Restaurant Feedback

Waiter: お味はいかがですか？

Customer: 正直に言うと、少しあまり美味しくないです。

neutral
🏠

Home Cooking

Friend: これ、どう？

You: うーん、ちょっとあまり美味しくないかも。

informal

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Imagine you are eating a 'mummy' (amari) that is 'not tasty' (oishikunai).

Association visuelle

A person pushing away a plate with a polite, slightly pained smile.

Rhyme

It's not very tasty, it's not very nice, I'll say 'amari oishikunai' once or twice.

Story

Kenji went to a new restaurant. He took a bite of the soup. It was bland. He looked at the chef and said, 'Amari oishikunai.' The chef nodded, understanding the polite feedback.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'It's not my favorite' in English or 'Ce n'est pas très bon' in French.

Word Web

美味いまずいあまり料理味正直

Défi

Try to describe three things you don't like using 'amari' + negative adjective.

Review in 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, and 1 month.

Prononciation

Accent Flat pitch accent.

Clear 'a', 'ma', 'ri'.

Spectre de formalité

Formel
あまり美味しくございません。

あまり美味しくございません。 (General)

Neutre
あまり美味しくないです。

あまり美味しくないです。 (General)

Informel
あまり美味しくないね。

あまり美味しくないね。 (General)

Argot
あんまりうまくない。

あんまりうまくない。 (General)

Derived from the adverb 'amari' (excess/too much) and the negative form of 'oishii'.

Edo Period:

Le savais-tu ?

The word 'oishii' originally meant 'beautiful taste'.

Notes culturelles

Food is a reflection of the chef's spirit. Criticism is handled with extreme care.

“あまり美味しくないですね。”

Amorces de conversation

“

What do you think of this food?

Erreurs courantes

✗

あまり美味しいです

✓

あまり美味しくないです

wrong conjugation
Amari must be used with a negative verb or adjective. You cannot say 'not very delicious' in a positive sense.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

No es muy rico.

Japanese requires the negative form of the adjective, whereas Spanish uses the negative 'no' before the verb.

French Very Similar

Ce n'est pas très bon.

French is slightly more direct than Japanese.

German moderate

Es schmeckt nicht besonders gut.

German grammar is more rigid regarding the placement of the negation.

Japanese Very Similar

あまり美味しくない

N/A

Arabic moderate

ليس لذيذاً جداً

Arabic speakers might use more flowery language to soften the blow.

Chinese Very Similar

不太好吃

Chinese is very direct; 'bu tai hao chi' is a very common, standard phrase.

Korean Very Similar

별로 맛없어요

The cultural weight of the phrase is almost identical to Japanese.

Portuguese Very Similar

Não é muito gostoso.

Portuguese speakers might use more emotive adjectives.

Spotted in the Real World

📺

(2018)

“あまり美味しくないね。”

Discussing a meal at home.

Facile à confondre

あまり美味しくない vs まずい (Mazui)

Learners often use 'mazui' thinking it's just 'bad'.

'Mazui' is very strong and rude. Avoid it.

Questions fréquentes (1)

Only if they ask for your honest opinion.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

C'tait utile ?

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