そもそも
そもそも
adverb
in the first place; to begin with; originally
1.
in the first place; to begin with
Used to question or refer back to fundamental premises or origins of a matter.
そもそも、なぜそんなことをしたの？
Why did you do such a thing in the first place?
そもそもこの計画には無理があった。
This plan was unreasonable from the start.
そもそも彼は来る気がなかった。
He had no intention of coming in the first place.
そもそも is used to go back to basics or question fundamental assumptions.
KANJI: Can be written as 抑も or 抑々, though hiragana is standard.
USAGE:
- Often used to point out a fundamental problem
- Can express criticism or skepticism
- Common in logical arguments and debates
SIMILAR:
- 元々: originally (more neutral)
- 本来: originally, by nature