JLPT N2Written and careful speechTelling what happened

あまり・あまりの～にso … that

A feeling or a state is so strong that something follows from it, usually something you didn't mean to do: "so happy that I cried". What tells it from the "not very" of あまり～ない is where あまり stands, not whether a negative follows.

うれしさのあまり、泣ないてしまった。

I was so happy that I cried.

あまりの暑あつさに、駅えきまで歩あるいただけで気き分ぶんが悪わるくなった。

It was so hot that just walking to the station made me feel ill.

After the feeling

Noun + の + あまり　／　Verb dictionary form + あまり

緊きん張ちょうのあまり, 心しん配ぱいするあまり. An い-adjective usually becomes a noun with さ first: うれしさのあまり. A な-adjective takes な: 熱ねっ心しんなあまり.

In front of a noun

あまりの + noun + に

The noun is very often an adjective with さ: 暑あつさ, 眠ねむさ, 美うつくしさ.

In front of an adjective or a verb

あまりに（も） + adjective or verb

"So", "far too": あまりにも暑あつくて.

Before it: A strong feeling: 緊きん張ちょう (nerves), 喜よろこび (joy), 怒いかり (anger), 驚おどろき (surprise). Or a verb for being caught up in something: 心しん配ぱいする, 急いそぐ, 集しゅう中ちゅうする.
After it: What it did to you: you cried, froze, forgot, got something wrong. Not a request or a plan.
Where you'll meet it: Stories, news, essays, and people telling what happened with some care.

In use

仕し事ごとに集しゅう中ちゅうするあまり、昼ちゅう食しょくを取とるのを忘わすれていた。

I was so wrapped up in my work that I forgot to have lunch.

怒いかりのあまり、手てにしていた紙かみを握にぎりつぶした。

I was so angry that I crushed the paper I was holding.

あまりの眠ねむさに、電でん車しゃを乗のり過すごしてしまった。

I was so sleepy that I missed my stop.

Two things to know

A negative after it doesn't make it "not very"

昨日きのうはあまり眠ねむれなかった。

I didn't sleep much last night.

あまり alone, in front of the negative: not much.

心しん配ぱいのあまり、眠ねむれなかった。

I was so worried that I couldn't sleep.

あまり after の: so much worry that sleep wouldn't come.

あまりに（も） in conversation

People say this one all the time. In a reason or a condition, bare あまり does the same job when its adjective or verb isn't negative: あまり暑あついので, "it was so hot that". The end of a sentence needs あまりに（も）.

あまりにも暑あつくて、眠ねむれなかった。

It was so hot that I couldn't sleep.

Close neighbours

すぎるN5

The everyday way to say the same thing: すぎて, then what happened.

うれしすぎて、何なにも言いえなかった。

I was so happy that I couldn't say a thing.

ほど・くらいN3

Also "so … that", built the other way around: what it did to you comes first, as a picture of how strong the feeling was.

声こえが震ふるえるほど緊きん張ちょうしていました。

I was so nervous that my voice was trembling.

あまり～ないN5

"Not very", "not much", "not often".

この部屋へやはあまり広ひろくない。

This room isn't very spacious.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

悲かなしみのあまり、何なにも食たべられなかった。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

（　　）寒さむさに、夜よ中なかに目めが覚さめた。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

緊きん張ちょうのあまり、名な前まえを聞きかれても答こたえられなかった。

I was so nervous that I couldn't answer even when they asked my name.

安あん心しんのあまり、その場ばに座すわり込こんだ。

I was so relieved that I sank to the floor where I stood.

締しめ切きりに間まに合あわせようとするあまり、確かく認にんを怠おこたってしまった。

I was so intent on making the deadline that I skipped the checks.

慎しん重ちょうなあまり、決けつ断だんの機き会かいを逃のがしてしまうこともある。

Being too cautious can sometimes cost you the chance to decide.

あまりの衝しょう撃げきで、しばらく言こと葉ばが出でなかった。

The shock was so great that for a while I couldn't speak.