最もっとも

also: もとも

も

っ

と

も

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

1

adverb

most; extremely

Superlative adverb used to indicate the highest degree among a group or in a given context. Often used with adjectives and adjectival nouns.

彼かれはクラスで最もっとも背せが高たか

い

。

He is the tallest in the class.

これは最もっとも重じゅう要ような問もん題だいだ。

This is the most important issue.

Usage patterns

最もっとも〈形けい容よう詞し〉the most ~ (superlative with an adjective)
富ふ士じ山さんは日本にほんで最もっとも高たかい山やまです。
Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
最もっとも〈事こと〉なのは〜だthe most important thing is that ~
最もっとも大たい切せつなのは健けん康こうだ。
The most important thing is health.

Expressions

最もっとも近ちかい共きょう通つう祖そ先せんmost recent common ancestor
最さい後ごに笑わらう者ものが最もっともよく笑わらうhe who laughs last, laughs best

Kanji

最utmost, most, extreme
尤reasonable, just, natural

Related words

一いち番ばんN5
一番 is the casual, everyday way to say 'most', while 最も is more formal and typical of written Japanese.
極きわめてN2
極めて is an even more formal/literary intensifier meaning 'extremely', often stronger in tone than 最も.
ただしN2
もっとも softens a preceding statement with a partial concession or afterthought, whereas ただし states a clear, formal proviso or condition.

Don't confuse with

もっともN3
尤も (もっとも) means 'reasonable, that is true' and is unrelated in meaning to 最も (もっとも), 'most, extremely', despite sharing the same reading.
もっともらしいN1
もっとも is an adverb/na-adjective meaning 'reasonable' or 'however', sharing its reading with 尤もらしい but differing in part of speech and meaning.
最さいN3
最 is a bound prefix that must attach to another word to form a compound (最高, 最新), while 最も is a free-standing adverb meaning 'most' that modifies an adjective or verb on its own (最も高い山).

Written forms

最もUsage69%
- もっとも
  Standard kanji spelling for the superlative adverb.
- もとも
  out-dated reading

Etymology

Derived from the adjective 尤も (もっとも, 'reasonable, plausible') used adverbially, with the kanji 最 ('most') later applied to represent the superlative meaning. The obsolete reading もとも reflects an older phonetic form.

もっとも

Usage31%

Kana spelling is common in everyday writing.

尤もUsage<1%

もっとも
Uncommon kanji form; rarely used in modern Japanese.
もとも
out-dated reading

もとも

out-dated reading

Obsolete kana form; not used in contemporary Japanese.