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夢にも (yumenimo) Japanese meaning: not in the slightest | Kotomora

夢ゆめにも

ゆ

め

に

も

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

not in the slightest; not at all

Used exclusively with a negative verb to emphasize that something is absolutely not the case, often in the phrase 夢にも思わない (wouldn't dream of it).

See also: 夢にも思わない (ゆめにもおもわない)

彼かれがそんなことをするとは夢ゆめにも

思おも

わ

なかっ

た

。

I never dreamed he would do such a thing.

成せい功こうするなんて夢ゆめにも思おもっていなかった。

I didn't think for a moment that I would succeed.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉とは夢ゆめにも思おもわなかったnever dreamed that [something] would happen
彼かれが犯はん人にんだったとは夢ゆめにも思おもわなかった。
I never dreamed that he was the culprit.

Expressions

夢ゆめにも思おもうeven dream of; imagine in one's wildest dreams
夢ゆめにも思おもわないnot in one's wildest dreams; never even imagined

Kanji

夢dream, vision, illusion

Related words

少すこしもN3
少しも is a general negative adverb meaning 'not at all', while 夢にも adds a stronger nuance of something being utterly unimaginable or beyond one's wildest dreams.
全まったくN3
全く with a negative verb means 'not at all' in a neutral, everyday way, whereas 夢にも specifically stresses that the speaker never even imagined such a thing.

Don't confuse with

まさかN3
まさか expresses disbelief at an unexpected fact ('surely not'), while 夢にも must pair with a negative verb like 思わない to say one never dreamed something would happen.

Etymology

Compound of 夢 (dream) + にも (even in). Literally 'even in a dream', it developed into an emphatic negative adverb meaning 'not even in one's wildest dreams'.