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入はいっている偽札にせさつは少すくなくない。
The amount of counterfeit money in this suitcase is not insignificant.

Category: ,

Yo, peep this. 少すくなくない literally means “not a little” or “not few.” It’s a double negative, playboy. Instead of just sayin’ 多おおい , 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は少すくなくない。The problems are not few.
我々われわれの仲間なかまは少すくなくない。Our crew is not small.
証拠しょうこは少すくなくない。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 い 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 は or が 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.

消きえた証人しょうにんが抱かかえていた借金しゃっきんは少すくなくない。
The debt the disappeared witness had was considerable.

去年きょねんの抗争こうそうで流ながれた血ちの量りょうは少すくなくない。
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車しゃは少すくなくない。
The number of luxury cars the Don owns is not small.

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

我々われわれの隠かくれ家がには秘密ひみつの通路つうろが少すくなくない。
There are quite a few secret passages in our hideout.

敵てきのボスが犯おかしたミスは少すくなくない。
The mistakes the enemy boss has made are quite numerous.

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

この街まちで我々われわれに恩おんがある政治せいじ家かは少すくなくない。
There are quite a few politicians in this city who owe us a favor.

ボスが隠かくしている金かねの量りょうは少すくなくない。
The amount of money the boss is hiding is considerable.

我々われわれのテリトリーを狙ねらう敵てきは少すくなくない。
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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