# まるっきり: completely; absolutely; totally; (not) at all

> Learn how to use まるっきり, a JLPT N1 adverb meaning (not) at all, completely negative, with structure, nuance, examples, mistakes, and comparisons.

JLPT level: N1 · Updated: 2026-05-18 · Canonical: https://hane-app.com/blog/n1-marukkiri/

**まるっきり** means **completely; absolutely; totally; (not) at all**. It is a **JLPT N1** adverb used to emphasize a total negation — that something is absolutely not the case, not at all, or utterly lacking.

This grammar point often appears in spoken Japanese, essays, novels, and JLPT N1 listening and reading passages. If you want to stress that something is **not the case in any way whatsoever**, **まるっきり** is a compact, expressive tool that adds punch to your Japanese.

## What does まるっきり mean?

Use **まるっきり** when you want to deny something completely, with zero exception. It always pairs with a negative predicate — a verb, adjective, or noun in the negative form. The core message is “nothing at all” or “absolutely not.”

Natural translations include:
- completely (not)
- absolutely (not)
- totally (not)
- (not) at all

Because it only appears with negatives, the English gloss will often be “not at all” rather than “completely.” For example, “まるっきりわからない” means “I don’t understand at all,” not “I completely don’t understand” (though the emphasis is the same).

## How to form まるっきり

**まるっきり** is an adverb that directly modifies a negative predicate. No conjugation or particle is needed. The pattern is simply:

<div class="formation">
  <span class="ftoken t-core">まるっきり</span>
  <span class="fplus">＋</span>
  <span class="ftoken t-stem">Verb<sub>ない</sub> / Adj<sub>くない</sub> / Noun<sub>ではない</sub></span>
</div>

Examples of the pattern:
- まるっきりわからない
- まるっきり<ruby>正<rt>ただ</rt></ruby>しくない
- まるっきり<ruby>解決<rt>かいけつ</rt></ruby>になっていない

The negative form is mandatory. If you see まるっきり followed by a positive ending, it’s almost certainly a mistake (unless the sentence has an implied negative somewhere, like しか～ない). In JLPT questions, wrong answer choices often try to slip まるっきり into a positive sentence — catching learners who overlook this restriction.

## When is まるっきり used?

Use **まるっきり** in situations like:
- expressing frustration, disbelief, or strong denial
- describing a complete lack of understanding, progress, change, or truth
- adding colloquial emphasis in conversation
- emphasizing a stark contrast between expectation and reality

Tone and register:
- slightly informal; common in everyday speech, blogs, and fiction
- can appear in formal writing when the writer wants to sound emphatic or emotional
- frequent in expressions of personal feelings (“I have no idea at all,” “nothing’s changed one bit”)

It’s more conversational than まったく, but both are used in speech. まるっきり feels a bit more dramatic, like throwing your hands up in exasperation.

## まるっきり example sentences

<div class="examples">
  <div class="example">
    <div class="example-jp">
      <ruby>彼<rp>(</rp><rt>かれ</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby>の<ruby>言<rt>い</rt></ruby>っていることは、まるっきり<ruby>理<rt>り</rt>解<rt>かい</rt></ruby>できない。
    </div>
    <div class="example-en">I can’t understand what he’s saying at all.</div>
    <div class="example-foot">
      <span class="example-tag">frustration</span>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="example">
    <div class="example-jp">
      あの<ruby>話<rt>はなし</rt></ruby>、まるっきり<ruby>信<rt>しん</rt></ruby>じられない。
    </div>
    <div class="example-en">That story is completely unbelievable.</div>
  </div>
  <div class="example">
    <div class="example-jp">
      この<ruby>部屋<rt>へや</rt></ruby>はまるっきり<ruby>片<rt>かた</rt></ruby>づいていない。
    </div>
    <div class="example-en">This room hasn’t been cleaned at all.</div>
  </div>
  <div class="example">
    <div class="example-jp">
      まるっきり<ruby>変<rt>か</rt></ruby>わっていない<ruby>自分<rt>じぶん</rt></ruby>に<ruby>愕然<rt>がくぜん</rt></ruby>とした。
    </div>
    <div class="example-en">I was shocked that I hadn’t changed one bit.</div>
  </div>
  <div class="example">
    <div class="example-jp">
      <ruby>説明<rt>せつめい</rt></ruby>がまるっきり<ruby>足<rt>た</rt></ruby>りなくて、どうしていいかわからない。
    </div>
    <div class="example-en">The explanation is totally insufficient — I have no idea what to do.</div>
  </div>
  <div class="example">
    <div class="example-jp">
      まるっきり<ruby>手<rt>て</rt></ruby>ごたえがなかった。
    </div>
    <div class="example-en">I got no response or reaction whatsoever.</div>
  </div>
</div>

After reading each sentence, notice that **まるっきり** magnifies the negation. The predicate is already “no”; まるっきり says “absolutely no.” That intensity is what makes the expression natural in emotionally charged contexts.

## Nuance of まるっきり

The key nuance is **total, uncompromising negation — zero percent**.

This matters because learners often think “completely” is a neutral intensifier, but まるっきり is heavily negative. You never use it to say “completely correct” or “completely delicious.” That’s the domain of まったく or すっかり.

The emotional weight is also important. まるっきり often colors a sentence with frustration, disappointment, or disbelief. It’s the word you use when you’ve given up trying to understand, or when a situation is hopelessly unchanged.

<div class="note-callout">
  <div class="note-icon">💡</div>
  <div class="note-body">
    Think of まるっきり as “not a shred of …” or “absolutely zilch.” If you can mentally add “zilch” to the English meaning, you’ve captured the right nuance.
  </div>
</div>

## まるっきり vs まったく

Both **まるっきり** and **まったく** can express “completely,” but their usage differs.

<div class="compare">
  <div class="cmp">
    <div class="cmp-head a">
      <div class="cmp-label">まるっきり</div>
    </div>
    <div class="cmp-sub a">
      <ul>
        <li>Always with a negative predicate</li>
        <li>Slightly informal, emphatic</li>
        <li>Often carries frustration or disbelief</li>
        <li>Cannot be used for positive statements</li>
      </ul>
    </div>
    <div class="cmp-when a">
      <div class="cmp-eg">
        <span class="bad">❌ まるっきり<ruby>正しい<rp>(</rp><rt>ただしい</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby></span> (incorrect — positive)
      </div>
      <div class="cmp-eg">
        <span class="good">✅ まるっきり<ruby>正しく<rp>(</rp><rt>ただしく</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby>ない</span>
      </div>
      <div class="cmp-eg-en">“Completely wrong / not at all correct”</div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="vs">VS</div>
  <div class="cmp">
    <div class="cmp-head b">
      <div class="cmp-label">まったく</div>
    </div>
    <div class="cmp-sub b">
      <ul>
        <li>Used with both positive and negative</li>
        <li>Neutral to formal; can be emphatic as well</li>
        <li>“Completely, totally, truly” — context-dependent</li>
        <li>Can mean “utterly” in both directions</li>
      </ul>
    </div>
    <div class="cmp-when b">
      <div class="cmp-eg">
        <span class="good">✅ まったく<ruby>正しい<rp>(</rp><rt>ただしい</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby></span>
      </div>
      <div class="cmp-eg">
        <span class="good">✅ まったくわからない</span>
      </div>
      <div class="cmp-eg-en">“Completely correct” / “I don’t understand at all”</div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

**Key takeaway:** If the sentence is positive, use まったく (or すっかり). If you need a strong, emotionally colored “not at all” for a conversational setting, まるっきり fits perfectly.

## Common mistakes with まるっきり

<div class="mistakes">
  <div class="mistake">
    <div class="mline bad">
      <span class="mark bad">❌</span>
      <div class="mline-body">まるっきり<ruby>正<rt>ただ</rt></ruby>しいです。</div>
    </div>
    <div class="mline good">
      <span class="mark good">✅</span>
      <div class="mline-body">まったく<ruby>正<rt>ただ</rt></ruby>しいです。</div>
    </div>
    <div class="note">まるっきり cannot attach to a positive adjective. Use まったく instead.</div>
  </div>
  <div class="mistake">
    <div class="mline bad">
      <span class="mark bad">❌</span>
      <div class="mline-body">この<ruby>問題<rt>もんだい</rt></ruby>はまるっきり<ruby>簡単<rt>かんたん</rt></ruby>だ。</div>
    </div>
    <div class="mline good">
      <span class="mark good">✅</span>
      <div class="mline-body">この<ruby>問題<rt>もんだい</rt></ruby>はまるっきり<ruby>簡単<rt>かんたん</rt></ruby>ではない。</div>
    </div>
    <div class="note">Again, まるっきり demands a negative. “Not simple at all” is correct.</div>
  </div>
  <div class="mistake">
    <div class="mline bad">
      <span class="mark bad">❌</span>
      <div class="mline-body"><ruby>理解<rt>りかい</rt></ruby>がまるっきりできた。</div>
    </div>
    <div class="mline good">
      <span class="mark good">✅</span>
      <div class="mline-body"><ruby>理解<rt>りかい</rt></ruby>がまるっきりできなかった。</div>
    </div>
    <div class="note">You can’t “completely understand” with まるっきり; it’s only for “didn’t understand at all.”</div>
  </div>
</div>

A useful drill: take a sentence with まるっきり and try to rewrite it with まったく. If the negation disappears, the original was wrong. If the meaning stays but the emotional tone softens, you’re using both correctly.

## Is まるっきり on the JLPT?

Yes. **まるっきり** is a **JLPT N1** grammar point, typically appearing in the vocabulary/knowledge portions and in reading comprehension questions that test nuance.

<div class="jlpt-card">
  <div class="jlpt-shield">
    N1
  </div>
  <div class="jlpt-info">
    <p>At the N1 level, you are expected to:</p>
    <ul class="jlpt-checks">
      <li>Recognize まるっきり as an adverb that always takes a negative</li>
      <li>Distinguish it from まったく and すっかり in context</li>
      <li>Understand the emotional emphasis it adds</li>
      <li>Use it in original sentences to express strong denial</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</div>

In JLPT test items, you might see questions that ask which adverb fills a blank in a negative sentence. The presence of a negative predicate is a strong clue for まるっきり, especially if the surrounding tone is conversational or frustrated.

## Practice questions for まるっきり

<div class="prompts">
  <div class="prompt">
    <span class="prompt-num">1</span>
    <p class="prompt-text">Create a sentence with まるっきり about a skill you don’t possess at all. Use a negative potential verb.</p>
    <span class="prompt-tag">negation</span>
  </div>
  <div class="prompt">
    <span class="prompt-num">2</span>
    <p class="prompt-text">You expected your friend to be on time, but they haven’t shown up. Express your frustration with まるっきり.</p>
    <span class="prompt-tag">frustration</span>
  </div>
  <div class="prompt">
    <span class="prompt-num">3</span>
    <p class="prompt-text">Rewrite this sentence using まったく instead of まるっきり, and explain how the nuance changes: “<ruby>彼<rt>かれ</rt></ruby>の<ruby>説明<rt>せつめい</rt></ruby>はまるっきりわからなかった。”</p>
    <span class="prompt-tag">comparison</span>
  </div>
  <div class="prompt">
    <span class="prompt-num">4</span>
    <p class="prompt-text">Describe a situation where nothing has changed after a long time, using まるっきり with a negative adjective.</p>
    <span class="prompt-tag">unchanged</span>
  </div>
</div>

Keep the sentences short at first. Once you’re comfortable, embed まるっきり inside a longer story to feel how it drives the emotional impact.

## Learning path for まるっきり

<div class="path">
  <div class="path-step">
    <span class="step-num">1</span>
    <div class="step-body">
      <strong>Memorize the restriction.</strong> Drill yourself: “まるっきり + negative only.” Write that rule on a flashcard and test yourself until it’s automatic.
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="path-step">
    <span class="step-num">2</span>
    <div class="step-body">
      <strong>Compare with まったく.</strong> Create a list of 5 sentences with mixed polarity. Decide whether まるっきり or まったく fits. Check your answers.
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="path-step">
    <span class="step-num">3</span>
    <div class="step-body">
      <strong>Listen for it.</strong> Watch a drama, anime, or interview and try to catch まるっきり in negative rants. Pay attention to the speaker’s emotion.
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="path-step">
    <span class="step-num">4</span>
    <div class="step-body">
      <strong>Write a short journal entry.</strong> Start with a sentence like “Today, I … まるっきり … ” and complete it with a negative observation. Do this for three days.
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="path-step">
    <span class="step-num">5</span>
    <div class="step-body">
      <strong>Review with related patterns.</strong> Use the links below to study adverbs with similar restrictions or overlapping territory, so you don’t confuse them later.
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

## Related grammar to review next

- [まみれ](/blog/n1-mamire/) — an intensifier that, like まるっきり, adds a strong, all‑or‑nothing feeling, but with physical coverage
- [もどうぜんだ](/blog/n1-mo-douzen-da/) — expresses that something is practically the same as; useful when comparing degrees of “nothing”
- [まくる](/blog/n1-makuru/) — indicates doing something relentlessly; the intensity of action contrasts with まるっきり’s total lack
- [めく](/blog/n1-meku/) — shows a sign or semblance of something; studying it alongside まるっきり sharpens your sense of “presence” vs “absolute absence”

## Learn まるっきり with Hane

If you want to lock in **まるっきり** alongside these related patterns, Hane helps you practice Japanese through targeted, bite‑sized quizzes and review.

Browse more lessons here:
- [All grammar lessons](/blog/)
- [JLPT N1 grammar lessons](/blog/n1/)