How to use 少なくない (sukunakunai): A Streetwise JLPT N4 Grammar Guide

fake money

このスーツケースにはいっている偽札にせさつすくなくない。
The amount of counterfeit money in this suitcase is not insignificant.

Category: ,

Yo, peep this. すくなくない literally means “not a little” or “not few.” It’s a double negative, playboy. Instead of just sayin’ おお , which means “a lot,” you hit ’em with this. It’s like you’re downplaying it, but everybody knows what you really mean. You’re sayin’ the number of your crew, the stacks in your safe, or the problems you got… it’s a considerable amount. It ain’t a small thing. It carries weight. It’s got that “more than you’d think” vibe. It’s the linguistic equivalent of Tony Montana lookin’ at a mountain of yayo and sayin’, “It ain’t nothin’.” We all know it’s somethin’.


Aight, here’s the breakdown of how this piece fits together.

StructureExampleTranslation
Noun + は/が + 少なくない問題もんだいすくなくない。The problems are not few.
我々われわれ仲間なかますくなくない。Our crew is not small.
証拠しょうこすくなくない。The evidence is not insignificant.

Now, let’s get into the guts of it. This pattern is built on an i-adjective, 少ない, which means “few” or “little.” To make any i-adjective negative, you chop off the final and slap a くない on the end. So, 少ない becomes 少なくない. It’s a smooth move. You just drop a noun in front of it with a or particle, and you’re good to go. You’re tellin’ the world that whatever you’re talkin’ about, there’s plenty of it.


Now check these lines, straight from the block, so you know how it’s done.

えた証人しょうにんかかえていた借金しゃっきんすくなくない。
The debt the disappeared witness had was considerable.

去年きょねん抗争こうそうながれたりょうすくなくない。
The amount of blood spilled in last year’s turf war was not insignificant.

ドンが所有しょゆうする高級こうきゅうしゃすくなくない。
The number of luxury cars the Don owns is not small.

このファミリーをつぶそうとした組織そしきすくなくない。
There have been a good number of organizations that tried to crush this family.

我々われわれかくには秘密ひみつ通路つうろすくなくない。
There are quite a few secret passages in our hideout.

てきのボスがおかしたミスはすくなくない。
The mistakes the enemy boss has made are quite numerous.

刑務所けいむしょはいっている仲間なかますくなくない。
The number of our crew members in prison is not small.

このまち我々われわれおんがある政治せいじすくなくない。
There are quite a few politicians in this city who owe us a favor.

ボスがかくしているかねりょうすくなくない。
The amount of money the boss is hiding is considerable.

我々われわれのテリトリーをねらてきすくなくない。
There are a good number of enemies aiming for our territory.


Aight, that’s the 4-1-1 for today. You learned somethin’. Now go out there and use it. Don’t be a buster. Keep your grammar game tight and your hustle strong.

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