N3 Contrast, Comparison, and Concession

~とは限かぎらない: meaning, usage and examples

~とは限かぎらない means: not necessarily... / not always...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 高たかいものが安やすいものよりいいとは限かぎらない。

   Expensive things are not always better than cheap things.

2. お金持かねもちが幸しあわせだとは限かぎらない。

   Being rich doesn't necessarily mean you are happy.

3. 有名ゆうめいな店みせがいつもおいしいとは限かぎりません。

   Famous restaurants aren't always good.

4. 先生せんせいの言いうことが全部ぜんぶ正ただしいとは限かぎりません。

   Not everything the teacher says is necessarily right.

When to use it

Means 'not necessarily' or 'not always'. Use it to say that a common belief or rule has exceptions: 高たかい物ものがいい物ものとは限かぎらない 'expensive things are not always good'. It often comes with words like 必かならずしも, いつも, 全部ぜんぶ, or みんな, which make the 'not always' stronger.

Nuance

Logical and calm, common in both writing and speech. Polite form: とは限かぎりません. It sounds like general advice or a warning, not personal feeling. A casual version is とは限かぎらないよ.

Compare

Compare わけではない: it corrects a guess about a specific case, 嫌きらいなわけではない. とは限かぎらない questions a general rule: 日本人にほんじんが納豆なっとうを好すきだとは限かぎらない. Compare はずがない (impossible): 来くるはずがない 'there's no way he'll come', much stronger than 来くるとは限かぎらない 'he might not come'.

Tip: Add 必かならずしも at the start for a natural, test-friendly sentence: 必かならずしも正ただしいとは限かぎらない. It makes a claim sound careful, not negative.