この店のカレーも美味しくないことはない


> この店のカレーも美味しくないことはないが、私はもっと辛いのが好きだ。

I know there are many uses of も, to mean 'even', 'also', 'not even', etc. What
would be its use in this sentence above?

> It's not like I EVEN like the taste of the curry in this shop, I prefer more
> spicy curry instead

The even in the sentence does not make sense, hence what is the correct
meaning of the も?




This is similar to kandyman's answer, but hopefully somewhat helpful.

First ないことはない is a double negation, so the sentence means the same if dropped:

  * この店のカレーも美味しいが, 私はもっと辛いのが好きだ

So the speaker compares two curries, the shop's and the spicier, and prefers
the latter. But the speaker thinks **both** are good, hence using も meaning
_also_.

  * This shop's curry is also good, but I like spicier ones better (or I would like it spicier).

A possible difficulty is that this _also_ may not really be idiomatic, I guess
a more proper translation would be without it: _This shop's curry is ok..._

* * *

To be more precise, as given in the links in the comment, this も is used to
weaken the statement/express reservation on the statement, which is also the
function of the double negation. As such この店のカレーも美味しくないことはない can be thought of
この店のカレーはおいしい being wrapped with many _maybe_ 's.

I think in any case this weakening sense of も derives from _also_.

* * *

Examples for も in the 強く否定する context. They are usually translated as _at all_
or _even_.

  * 何もない There is nothing at all.
  * 返事もしない There is not even a reply.




This is similar to kandyman's answer, but hopefully somewhat helpful.

First ないことはない is a double negation, so the sentence means the same if dropped:

  * この店のカレーも美味しいが, 私はもっと辛いのが好きだ

So the speaker compares two curries, the shop's and the spicier, and prefers
the latter. But the speaker thinks **both** are good, hence using も meaning
_also_.

  * This shop's curry is also good, but I like spicier ones better (or I would like it spicier).

A possible difficulty is that this _also_ may not really be idiomatic, I guess
a more proper translation would be without it: _This shop's curry is ok..._

* * *

To be more precise, as given in the links in the comment, this も is used to
weaken the statement/express reservation on the statement, which is also the
function of the double negation. As such この店のカレーも美味しくないことはない can be thought of
この店のカレーはおいしい being wrapped with many _maybe_ 's.

I think in any case this weakening sense of も derives from _also_.

* * *

Examples for も in the 強く否定する context. They are usually translated as _at all_
or _even_.

  * 何もない There is nothing at all.
  * 返事もしない There is not even a reply.

