とても means very. It goes directly in front of an adjective and turns up the volume: 暑い (hot) becomes とても暑い (very hot), 静か (quiet) becomes とても静か (very quiet).
It is the first intensifier most learners meet, and it is safe in almost any situation. The main things to learn are what it can attach to, what it can’t attach to, and what happens when you put it in a negative sentence.
とても + adjective = very. とても + negative = “no way.” The second one surprises people.
What does とても mean?
とても is an adverb of degree. It says “to a high degree” about the word that follows it. In positive sentences the English is almost always very or really:
- この本はとても面白いです。 “This book is really interesting.”
- 先生はとても親切です。 “The teacher is very kind.”
とても does not mean “too.” とても高い is “very expensive” and says nothing about whether you’ll buy it. “Too expensive” needs a different pattern, すぎる, covered below.
In speech you’ll also hear とっても, with a small っ for extra emphasis. It means the same thing and sounds warm and a little childlike or cute.
How to form とても
Put とても right before the word it strengthens. Nothing conjugates; the adjective keeps whatever form it already has.
- い-adjectives: とても寒いです, とても大きい家
- な-adjectives: とても元気です, とても好きです
- Past forms: とても楽しかったです (it was very fun)
- Before a noun phrase: とてもいい人 — とても modifies いい, and いい describes the person
- Other adverbs: とてもよくできました (very well done)
- Verbs that describe a feeling or state: とても疲れました (I’m very tired), とても助かりました (that really helped)
What it does not combine with: plain nouns (とても学生 is not Japanese) and action verbs where you mean “a lot.” For “eat a lot” or “study a lot,” use たくさん or よく.
When is とても used?
- Describing things and people. Weather, food, places, personalities: the everyday adjectives of N5.
- Giving your opinion politely. とてもおいしかったです after a meal, とても便利です about an app.
- Thanking and apologizing. とても助かりました and とても楽しかったです are standard thank-you lines.
Register sits in the middle. とても works in polite speech, emails and school essays. Among friends, many people prefer すごく (すごく寒い) or slang like めっちゃ. In business writing and news, you’ll see 非常に and 大変. As a learner, とても is the one you can’t get wrong in tone.
とても example sentences
Sentence 5 shows the split clearly: たくさん goes with the action (walked a lot), とても goes with the feeling (very tired).
Nuance of とても
Positive sentences: a neutral “very.” とても adds strength without any judgement. It’s not excessive, not sarcastic, not especially emotional. That neutrality is why textbooks love it.
Negative sentences: “can’t possibly.” When とても meets a negative, especially a “can’t” form, its meaning flips from “very” to “no way.” とても間に合いません means “I can’t possibly make it in time,” not “I’m not very on time.” You don’t need to produce this at N5, but you’ll meet it in reading and it confuses learners who expect “not very.”
“Not very” is あまり, not とても. To soften a negative (“not very expensive,” “not very good at it”), Japanese uses あまり〜ない: あまり高くないです. This is one of the most common beginner slips.
Quick test: If your English sentence has “not very,” reach for あまり. If it has “very” in a positive sentence, reach for とても. If it has “too,” reach for すぎる.
とても vs すぎる
English “very” and “too” are close enough that learners mix them up. In Japanese they are different grammar: とても is a separate word in front, すぎる is glued onto the adjective.
After the first sentence, a shopper might still buy the bag. After the second, they almost certainly won’t. The full rules for the “too” side are in すぎる.
Common mistakes with とても
Is とても on the JLPT?
Yes. とても is a JLPT N5 adverb that appears in grammar, vocabulary and reading questions.
The most reliable clue is the end of the sentence. If it's negative (〜くない, 〜ません), とても is almost never the answer at N5; あまり or ぜんぜん usually is.
Practice questions for とても
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この公園はとてもきれいです。 — This park is very beautiful.
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昨日の晩ご飯はとてもおいしかったです。 — Yesterday's dinner was really delicious.
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このテストはあまり難しくなかったです。 — This test wasn't very difficult.
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部屋はとても狭いです。部屋は狭すぎます。 — The room is very small. The room is too small.
Learning path for とても
Related grammar to review next
- すぎる — the “too much” pattern learners most often confuse with とても.
- あまり～ない — the correct way to say “not very,” since とても doesn’t soften negatives.
- な-adjectives — the adjectives like 静か and 好き that とても most often strengthens.
- より～ほうが — compares degree between two things instead of intensifying one.
Learn とても with Hane
Hane contrasts とても, あまり and すぎる in quick drills, so you pick the right degree word from the end of the sentence. Start practicing on Hane.
FAQ about とても
What does とても (totemo) mean in Japanese?
とても (totemo) means “very; extremely”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. とても is an adverb of degree. It says “to a high degree” about the word that follows it.
How do you form とても (totemo)?
Put とても right before the word it strengthens. Nothing conjugates; the adjective keeps whatever form it already has.
What is the difference between とても and すぎる?
とても + adjective: very (just a high degree). adjective stem + すぎる: too (more than is OK).
What is an example sentence with とても (totemo)?
今日はとても暑いです。 — It's very hot today.