必ずしも

Japanese

Kanji in this term
必
かなら Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Etymology

From 必(かなら)ず (kanarazu, “certainly, (negative polarity) not necessarily”) + しも (shimo, emphatic word). The しも (shimo) can also be seen in 誰しも (dareshimo) and まだしも (madashimo).

Adverb

必(かなら)ずしも • (kanarazushimo) 

1. (chiefly in the negative) not always, not all
   • c. 800, Han Yu, On Teaching(師說):

     是(こ)の故(ゆえ)に弟(てい)子(し)は必(かなら)ずしも師(し)に如(し)かずんばあらず、師(し)は必(かなら)ずしも弟(てい)子(し)より賢(けん)ならず。

     Kono yue ni teishi wa kanarazushimo shi ni shikazunba arazu, shi wa kanarazushimo teishi yori ken narazu.

     For this reason, apprentices do not have to be inferior to their masters; masters do not have to be more virtuous than their apprentices.

Usage notes

• Sometimes paired with とは限らない (to wa kagiranai) in written Japanese.