～とは限らない JLPT N2 Neutral

〜to wa kagiranai

Expresses that something is not necessarily true; 'not always', 'not necessarily'.

"Not always/not necessarily true" - the everyday hedge against a generalization.

Formation

Verb-casual + とは限らない, い-Adjective + とは限らない, な-Adjective + だとは限らない, Noun + だとは限らない

Explanation

The ～とは限らない grammar point is used to express that something is not necessarily true or does not always occur. It can be translated as 'not always' or 'not necessarily' in English. The formation differs depending on whether it is used with a verb, い-adjective, な-adjective, or noun.

Example sentences

いつも勉強しているとは限らない。

It's not always true that I'm studying.

Itsumo benkyou shite iru to wa kagiranai.
高い商品がいいとは限らない。

Expensive products are not necessarily good.

Takai shouhin ga ii to wa kagiranai.
彼が正しいとは限らない。

It's not necessarily true that he is right.

Kare ga tadashii to wa kagiranai.
雨が降るとは限らない。

It's not necessarily going to rain.

Ame ga furu to wa kagiranai.

Not Necessarily (An Exception Exists)

必ずしも～とは限らない JLPT N3