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〜にすぎない

merely, no more than

Noun / Plain form + にすぎない

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にすぎない plays something down: "it's only this, nothing more". これは私の意見にすぎない, "this is merely my opinion". すぎる means "to exceed", so it's literally "doesn't go beyond".

It's common with numbers, to stress how small they are: 参加者は十人にすぎなかった, "there were only ten participants". And for modesty: 私は自分の仕事をしたにすぎません, "I was only doing my job".

It's a formal, written equivalent of だけだ. It's often written に過ぎない.

Its opposite in feeling is にほかならない, "nothing other than", which asserts something strongly rather than playing it down.

Examples

  • これは私わたしの意見いけんにすぎない。

    This is merely my opinion.

  • 彼かれはただの学生がくせいにすぎない。

    He's just a student, nothing more.

  • 参加者さんかしゃは十人じゅうにんにすぎなかった。

    There were only ten participants.

  • それはうわさにすぎない。

    That's nothing but a rumour.

  • 私わたしは自分じぶんの仕事しごとをしたにすぎません。

    I was only doing my job.

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