皆かい目もく

か

い

も

く

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

Always used with a negative predicate (〜ない). Emphasizes a complete lack of understanding, knowledge, or awareness. Stronger than まったく in negative contexts.

彼かれの話はなしは皆かい目もくわからなかった。
I didn't understand his story at all.
その件けんについては皆かい目もく知しりません。
I know absolutely nothing about that matter.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が皆かい目もくわからないto have absolutely no idea about something
何なにが起おこったのか皆かい目もくわからない。
I have absolutely no idea what happened.
皆かい目もく見けん当とうがつかないto have no clue at all
犯はん人にんが誰だれなのか皆かい目もく見けん当とうがつかない。
I have no idea at all who the culprit is.
皆かい目もく気きづかなかったto be completely unaware (of something)
彼かれが嘘うそをついていたとは皆かい目もく気きづかなかった。
I had absolutely no idea he was lying.

Kanji

皆all, everything
目eye, class, look

Related words

全ぜん然ぜんN5
全然 is a common, casual negative intensifier used in everyday speech, while 皆目 is more formal and literary and often appears in written or serious contexts.
全まったくN3
まったく can appear in both positive and negative sentences, whereas 皆目 is restricted to negative contexts and sounds more emphatic about a total lack.
さっぱりN3
さっぱり is a colloquial way to say 'not at all' with negatives, while 皆目 carries a more formal, written-language tone.
とんと
とんと is an old-fashioned, literary word for 'not at all' very close to 皆目 in register, though 皆目 is somewhat more common today.
根ねっからN1
皆目 is used with a negative to mean 'not at all', much like 根っから〜ない, but 皆目 is slightly more formal and literary.

Don't confuse with

皆かい無む
皆目 is an adverb used with a negative verb (皆目わからない, 'not at all understand'), whereas 皆無 is a noun/na-adjective that stands alone to mean 'nonexistent'.

Written forms

皆かい目もくUsage92%
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used in the negative pattern 皆目〜ない.
かいもくUsage8%

Etymology

Compound of 皆 (all, everything) and 目 (eye, sight), originally meaning 'as far as the eye can see' or 'in every respect'. The modern negative-only usage developed from the idea of 'even looking everywhere, there is nothing'.