Meaning & usage
そもそも points back to the origin or basic premise of a situation and means from the very beginning or fundamentally speaking. It is used to question a cause, explain a reason, or point out that an assumption was wrong. It is an adverb placed at the start of a sentence or clause with no conjugation, and it becomes そもそもの when placed directly before a noun, as in そもそもの目的. It sounds explanatory and slightly formal, and is common in discussion and writing when reframing an issue.
Example sentences 8
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そもそも開発する人がいない。
There is no one to develop them in the first place.
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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?
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表現したいと思わないのに表現力を上げたいというのがそもそも矛盾しているからな。
Wanting to improve your expressiveness, but not wanting to express it is a contradiction from the beginning.
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そもそもあなたたちの喧嘩の原因は何だったの。
What was the cause for this fight in the first place?
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そもそもこの計画に無理があった。
To begin with, this plan was unrealistic.
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そもそも彼は約束を守らない人だ。
He is someone who never keeps promises in the first place.
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そもそもなぜ戦争が始まったのか。
Why did the war start in the first place?
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そもそもの目的を忘れている。
You have forgotten the original purpose.
