Anmari ōkii-no-o kau-to, heya-ni hairanai-deshō? If we buy one that big, we won't even get it into the room, right?

Situation 1: At a furniture store, Mr. and Mrs. Okubo are looking for a dining table.

夫： このテーブルなんかいいと思うな。お客さんを呼んでもいっしょに食べられるよ。

妻： ええっ。あんまり大きいのを買うと、部屋に入らない でしょう？

Otto: Kono tēburu-nanka ii-to omou-na. O-kyaku-san-o yonde-mo issho-ni taberareru-yo.

Tsuma: Ee'. Anmari ōkii-no-o kau-to, heya-ni hairanai-deshō?

Husband: I think this table would be good. When we have a lot of guests, we can eat together with them.

Wife: What? If we buy one that big, we won't even get it into the room, right?

Last week we introduced あまりand its use with negative forms, where it means "(not) very." Today we will look at the use of あまり in affirmative sentences, in the patterns あまりに(も) and あまりのX. あまりに(も)X[verb or adjective clause]と、Y[clause] expresses that Y will occur if the degree of X is too high. X describes an excessive state or action, and Y shows the inevitable result. In spoken language, あんまりis used instead of あまりに(も). Example: あんまり無理(むり)をすると、病気(びょうき)になりますよ (If you overdo it that much, you'll get sick). The constructions あまりに(も)X[verb or adjective clause]から/ので、Y[clause] and X[verb or adjective in te-form], Y[clause] express that "because X is too much, Y." These patterns are mainly used to describe something that has already happened. Example: あまりにもうれしかったので、なかなか眠(ねむ)れなかった (I was so happy that I had trouble getting to sleep.)

Situation 2: Mr. Sere meets Mr. Hayashi, a store manager.

セレ： 最近、お客さんが増えて、忙しそうだね。

林： うん、あまりの忙しさに目が回りそうだよ。まあ、ありがたいことだけどね。

Sere: Saikin, o-kyaku-san-ga fuete, isogashi-sō-da-ne.

Hayashi: Un, amari-no isogashisa-ni me-ga mawari-sō-da-yo. Mā, arigatai koto-da-kedo-ne.

Sere: Recently, with the increase in customers, you must be busy.

Hayashi: Yeah, I'm so busy that it makes my head spin. Anyway, I should be thankful, though, I suppose.

あまりのX[noun]にY[clause] means "something/someone is too/so X that Y." Here, X is a noun that expresses a feeling such as 驚き (おどろき, surprise), 痛さ(いたさ, pain) or 悲しみ(かなしみ, sadness), or a state such as 寒さ(さむさ, cold) or 進歩(しんぽ, progress), whereas Y is the result of too much X. In this pattern, あんまり cannot be used instead of あまり. Example: あまりの痛さに涙(なみだ)が出(で)ちゃったよ (The pain was so bad that I was in tears).

Bonus Dialogue: Mrs. Okubo is talking with her son, Mitsuo, a high school student. Takako, Mitsuo's younger sister, talks to her mother afterward.

母： 光男(みつお)、今度(こんど)のテスト、ずいぶんよかったじゃない。あまりの進歩(しんぽ)にびっくりしちゃった。

光男： うん、まあね。これがほんとうの実力(じつりょく)だよ。

母： ２か月前(にかげつまえ)のテストでは、あまりの点数 (てんすう)の悪(わる)さにあきれちゃったけど。やれば できるんじゃないの。

光男： うん、今晩(こんばん)もがんばるよ。

母： でも、あまり無理(むり)すると、体(からだ)によくない から、ほどほどにしたほうがいいんじゃない？

光男： わかってるよ。あんまり心配(しんぱい)しないで。 [へやにもどる]

たか子： 私(わたし)はわかっているんだ。お兄(にい)ちゃんの 好(す)きな子(こ)がレベルの高(たか)い大学(だいがく)を 受験(じゅけん)したいって言(い)うから、自分(じぶん)もがんばっているのよ。

母： なんだ、そういうことだったの。でも、何(なん)でもいいから、続(つづ)けてほしいわ。

Mother: Mitsuo, your latest test went really well. You've made so much progress that I was surprised.

Mitsuo: Yeah, this is my true ability.

Mother: I was appalled by the results of your test two months ago, but it seems you can do better if you try.

Mitsuo: Yeah. I'll study hard tonight, too.

Mother: But, if you overdo it too much, it'll be bad for your health. It's best that you take it easy.

Mitsuo: I know. Don't worry so much. (Goes back to his room.)

Takako: I know what's going on. Because the girl he likes said that she's going to sit the entrance exam for a high-level university, he's studying hard himself.

Mother: Oh, so that's it? But anyway, whatever the reason, I want him to keep this up.