〜とは限らない means "not necessarily" or "it''s not always the case that." Challenges assumptions or generalizations.
Counter assumptions - What people assume isn''t always true
Exceptions exist - There are cases where X doesn''t apply
Expensive things are not necessarily good.
Often used to express nuanced, qualified statements.
Plain form + とは限らない
- Verb/i-adj plain + とは限らない
- na-adj + だとは限らない
- Noun + だとは限らない
Related: とも限らない (similar meaning, slightly more emphatic)
Famous restaurants are not necessarily delicious.
If you work hard, you'll succeed — that's not necessarily true.
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