全く〜ない details

not at all + write + not

mattaku kakanai

not at all; not in the slightest — the emphatic absolute, and before a word of absoluteness its positive twin

meaning: not write in the slightest

何度なんども説明せつめいを読よんだが、全くまったく分からわからない。

nando mo setsumei o yonda ga, mattaku wakaranai.

I read the explanation over and over, and I do not understand in the slightest. neutral

昨日きのうから何なにも食たべてないのに、まったくお腹なかがすかない。

kinou kara nani mo tabetenai noni, mattaku onaka ga sukanai.

I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, and I'm not hungry in the slightest. casual

ない-form
i-adjective stem
na-adjective
i-adjective
dictionary form
alternant
formal

Examples

not at all; not in the slightest — none of the act or the quality is admitted

何度なんども説明せつめいを読よんだが、全まったく分わからない。

nando mo setsumei o yonda ga, mattakuwakaranai.

I read the explanation over and over, and I do not understand in the slightest. neutral

昨日きのうから何なにも食たべてないのに、まったくお腹なかがすかない。

kinou kara nani mo tabetenai noni, mattaku onaka ga sukanai.

I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, and I'm not hungry in the slightest. casual

値段ねだんの割わりに、全まったくおいしくなかった。

nedan no wari ni, mattaku oishikunakatta.

For the price, it wasn't good in the slightest. neutral

その点てんにつきましては、全まったく承知しょうちしておりませんでした。

sono ten ni tsukimashite wa, mattaku shouchi shite orimasen deshita.

On that point I was entirely unaware. formal

utterly; entirely — before a word that already names an absolute, 全く drives it home

それは全まったく違ちがう話はなしだ。

sore wa mattaku chigau hanashi da.

That is an entirely different matter. neutral

まったく新あたらしいやり方かたを試ためしてみようよ。

mattaku atarashii yarikata o tameshite miyou yo.

Let's try a completely new way of doing it. casual

この認識にんしきは全まったく正ただしいと存ぞんじます。

kono ninshiki wa mattaku tadashii to zonjimasu.

I believe this understanding is entirely correct. formal

Formation

全く{V-nai}attaches to ない-form
全く{I-stem}くないattaches to i-adjective stem
全く{NA-stem}ではないattaches to na-adjective
全く{I}attaches to i-adjective
全く{V}attaches to dictionary form

Variant notes

まったく — the kana spelling, at home in casual writing and dialogue; 全まったく is what print uses.
全くもって — 全まったく＋もって, an emphatic stiffening for speeches and written argument — 全まったくもってその通とおりです。

Notes

Standing alone, まったく is exasperation rather than degree — まったく、困こまった
ものだ。The positive rows need a word that already names an absolute; a plain
degree word rejects it (×全まったく高たかい).

Related patterns

Similar

全然〜ない
The same absolute zero, split by register — 全然 is speech-first and has drifted into positive reassurance (全然ぜんぜん大丈夫だいじょうぶ), while 全く leans written and formal and its positive is an INTENSIFIER of absoluteness (全まったく新あたらしい), never a reassurance.
少しも〜ない
少しも argues against the smallest amount and is at home in a rebuttal; 全く simply states that none of the quality or act is there, and carries the extra weight of formal or written delivery.
あまり〜ない
One scale, two ends — あまり concedes a residue (あまり高たかくない admits some expense), 全く leaves nothing standing — and unlike あまり, 全く also modifies affirmative absolutes (全まったく違ちがう).
決して〜ない
Both are emphatic and written-leaning, but 全まったく measures the quantity of a state ("none of it"), while 決して measures the speaker's resolve about it — 全く知しらない claims ignorance, 決して知しらせない promises silence.