とうてい

と

う

て

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

adverb

(not) possibly; by no means; utterly

usually written using kana alone

Always used with a negative predicate (ない, できない, 無理, etc.) to express strong impossibility or denial. Emphasizes that something is completely out of the question.

この問もん題だいは難むずかしすぎて、とうてい解とけない。
This problem is too difficult; I can't possibly solve it.

彼かれの提てい案あんは、とうてい受うけ入いれられない。

His proposal is utterly unacceptable.

Written forms

とうていUsage48%
Kana spelling is the usual written form.
到とう底ていUsage52%
Kanji form is used but less common than kana; usually written in kana.

Kanji

到arrival, proceed, reach
底bottom, sole, depth

Similar words

とても
とても can be used in both positive and negative sentences, while とうてい is only used with negatives and carries a stronger sense of impossibility.
絶ぜっ対たいに
絶対に can be used with both positive and negative sentences, and often expresses a personal determination or a logical impossibility. とうてい is more emotional and emphatic about the impossibility.

Etymology

The kanji 到 (arrive) and 底 (bottom) combine to suggest reaching the very bottom or limit, from which the adverbial sense of 'utterly' or 'by no means' developed. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.