This phrase means "it doesn't mean that..." or "it's not true that...". You use it to say that something people might think is not actually correct.
This phrase means "it doesn't mean that..." or "it's not true that...". You use it to say that something people might think is not actually correct.
I like cooking, but that doesn't mean I cook every day.
Just because I passed the exam, it didn't mean that everything was over.
It's not that I don't want to go to the party, it's just that I'm a little tired.
It's not that I can't eat any sweets at all, but I've been cutting back recently.
Just because he's the company president doesn't mean his decision is absolute.
This phrase is like saying, "That's not exactly right." You use it to correct a wrong idea someone might get. It's like saying, "You might think A, but that's not the whole story." Then you explain the real situation.
This is different from "~wake de wa nai". That one is more general. This one uses "to iu" to show you are denying a specific idea. It is also different from "~to wa kagiranai". That means "not always true". This grammar denies one specific conclusion. "Rich people are not always happy" is a general idea. "He is rich, but it doesn't mean he is happy" is about one person.
Don't use this when you want to say something is completely false. For example, "It's not that I don't like it" is different from "I don't like it."
Use this when you want to gently disagree. You can also use it to correct someone's idea. It shows that something is not completely true. It is like saying, "It's not that..."
Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.