深掘り · deep dive · N3 paraphrase
あらゆる means every one
It sounds vague, so learners reach for "some" or "various". It means all.
55% of 97 answers were right — one of the hardest questions in the catalogue.
The question
Choose the expression closest in meaning to the underlined word.
彼はあらゆる手段を試した。
- すべての✓ correct
- いくつかの
- 新しい
- 特別な
He tried every possible means.
What it is testing
あらゆる is a pre-noun word: it only ever appears directly before a noun, and it means "every possible", "of every kind". あらゆる手段 is "every means there is", which is why the closest paraphrase is すべての.
It belongs to a small family of pre-noun words that look alike and are easy to mix up: ある (a certain), いわゆる (so-called), and あらゆる (every). None of them can be conjugated or used on their own.
Look-alike pre-noun words
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| あらゆる | every (possible) | あらゆる方法 |
| すべての | all | すべての学生 |
| いろいろな | various (not all) | いろいろな料理 |
| ある | a certain | ある日 |
| いわゆる | so-called | いわゆる天才 |
Why the wrong answers are tempting
- ✕ いくつかの"Several" — the right kind of word, but far too weak. あらゆる leaves nothing out.
- ✕ 新しいTempting if you guess from context ("he tried new methods"), but nothing in あらゆる means new.
- ✕ 特別なAlso a guess from context. あらゆる is about how many, not what kind.
More examples
- あらゆる可能性を考えてから決めよう。Let's consider every possibility before deciding.
- この店には、あらゆる種類のお茶がある。This shop has every kind of tea.
- ネットではあらゆる情報が手に入る。You can find every sort of information online.
覚え方 · how to remember it
あらゆる grew out of ある (to exist): everything that exists — all of it.