とてもない (totemonai)

Meaning & usage

とても with a negative verb expresses that something is completely impossible or beyond one's ability, as in できない or わからない. とても comes before the negative predicate, usually a negative potential or other negative verb form, and other phrases like 私には or 口では may appear between とても and the verb. This impossibility reading occurs only with negative verbs, not with negative adjectives like 高くない or noun phrases ending in ない.

Example sentences 3

1. この本ほんは私わたしにはとてもわからない。

   This book is quite above me.

2. 私が見たすばらしさはとても口では言い表せない。

   No tongue can tell of the wonders I saw.

3. こんなわずかな収入ではとてもやっていけない。

   I can't get by on such a small income.