そんなに 〜ない (sonnani ~nai) — Not that much
It is not as big as the other person thinks — "not that much".
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
「そんなに」means "that much", and it usually comes with a negative: そんなに 高くない (not that expensive), そんなに 難しくない (not that hard). Its job is to bring the other person's guess down — they think it is a lot, and you say it is not that much. So you never open a conversation with そんなに; it only comes after the other person has said something. It also sits well with 〜なくても いい, as in 「そんなに 急がなくても いいよ」. In a question it can appear without a negative: 「そんなに 高い？」(is it really that expensive?). **⚠️ The danger:** the word そんなに itself is not rude, but the sentences on this page are casual ones with plain form and よ／ね — those are only for friends and same-age 同僚. Never say 「そんなに 高くないよ」to a 店長, a 課長 or a 先輩; put です／ます on it and say 「そんなに 高くないです」.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
そんなに 高くないよ。
sonnani takakunai yo.
It is not that expensive. — to a friend
そんなに 急がなくても いいよ。
sonnani isoganakute mo ii yo.
You do not have to hurry that much.
先輩には「そんなに 難しくないです」と 言います。
senpai ni wa "sonnani muzukashikunai desu" to iimasu.
To your 先輩 you say 「そんなに 難しくないです」.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
Question: 1/3A same-age 同僚 asks 「この 仕事、難しい？」. Which reply says "It is not that hard"?
💡 Hint: そんなに, あんまり and ぜんぜん all need a negative.
そんなに pairs with a negative: 「そんなに 難しくない」. あんまり and ぜんぜん need a negative too, so the other three are left unfinished.
Your 店長 says the job may be hard. What do you say?
💡 Hint: Same word, different ending.
そんなに is fine, but a 店長 needs です／ます: 「そんなに 難しくないです」.
The other person has not said anything yet. Which sentence can you open the conversation with?
💡 Hint: そんなに points back at what the other person just said.
そんなに means "as much as you think". With nothing said yet there is nothing to point at, so open with 「この かばんは 高くないです」. そんなに itself works fine in です／ます speech.
Your score: /3