とても

とても is a common adverb meaning "very" or "extremely." It's polite and versatile, suitable for most situations.

Usage

• Modifies adjectives: とても大(おお)きい (very big)
• Modifies verbs: とても疲(つか)れた (very tired)

Similar words

• すごく: very (more casual, emphatic)
• 大変(たいへん): very, terribly (can imply difficulty)
• 非常(ひじょう)に: extremely (formal)
• とっても: very (casual variant of とても)

Negative pattern

とても + negative = "cannot possibly"

• とても食(た)べられない: I can't possibly eat it
• とても無理(むり)だ: It's absolutely impossible

Register

とても is neutral and appropriate for both spoken and written Japanese.