さして

さ

し

て

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

(not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) very; (not) much

usually written using kana alone

Used with a negative predicate to mean 'not particularly', 'not very', or 'not much'. Common in formal or written contexts.

この問もん題だいはさして難むずかしくない。
This problem is not particularly difficult.
彼かれの話はなしはさして面おも白しろくなかった。
His story was not especially interesting.

Usage patterns

さして〈形けい容よう詞し〉くないnot particularly [adjective]
この問もん題だいはさして難むずかしくない。
This problem isn't particularly difficult.
さして〈動どう詞し〉ないnot particularly do [verb]
彼かれはその結けっ果かをさして気きにしないようだった。
He didn't seem to particularly care about the result.
さして変かわらないnot much different
二ふたつの案あんはさして変かわらない。
The two proposals aren't very different.

Kanji

然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words

それほどN4
それほど is the everyday, conversational way to say 'not that much', while さして is more literary and formal.
大たいしてN3
たいして and さして are both used with negatives to mean 'not particularly', but たいして is more common in spoken Japanese.
余あまりN5
あまり is the most common, casual word for 'not very' and can also appear in a few positive idioms, whereas さして sounds more formal and is used only with negatives.

Written forms

さしてUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 然して is rare.
然さして
Rare kanji spelling; learners should use the kana form.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 然す (さす, 'to do so') in its continuative form. The exact historical development is uncertain, but it became an adverb used with negatives.