そもそも
Meanings
Adverb
Noun
1. in the first place; to begin with; from the start; originally; ab initio (Usually kana)
Conjunction
2. after all; anyway; actually; well, ...; ... on earth (e.g. "what on earth?"); ... in the world (e.g. "why in the world?") (Usually kana, used when bringing up something already mentioned)
Noun
No-adjective
3. beginning; start (Usually kana)
Pitch accent
そもそも
Examples10
そもそも
Why do birds migrate in the first place?
そもそも
Most accidents, after all, happen around the corner, not in the rainforest.
そもそも
I'm surprised you came at all.
そもそも
In any case why was it only mine that had a line in the LCD?
そもそも
You shouldn't have come here to begin with.
彼女
It's wrong of you to talk back to her.