N1 Grammar guide · group 8 of 29

JLPT N1 grammar, group 8

16 grammar points, each with what it means and example sentences.

～で言い表せない

～で言い表せない means 'cannot be expressed/described with...'. Used for emotions, beauty, or experiences beyond words. Formal/literary.

彼女の美しさは、言葉で言い表せない。
Her beauty cannot be expressed in words.

～じまい

～じまい means 'ended up not doing.../without doing...'. Literary/old-fashioned. Expresses regret that something wasn't done.

彼は何も言わずじまい、黙って立ち去った。
He left in silence without saying a word.

～に足る

～に足る means 'to be worth.../to be sufficient for...'. Very formal/literary. Often with 読むに足る、信じるに足る.

この本は読むに足る価値がある。
This book is worth reading.

～ば～ほど

～ば～ほど means 'the more...the more...'. Shows proportional increase. Classic N1 pattern for expressing correlation.

この問題は考えれば考えるほど難しくなる。
The more you think about this problem, the more difficult it becomes.

～たるがゆえに

～たるがゆえに means 'because of being.../due to being...'. Emphasizes that status/role is the reason. Very formal.

彼は天才たるがゆえに、凡人には理解されない。
Because of being a genius, he is not understood by ordinary people.
彼は天才たるがゆえに、誤解されやすい。
Because of being a genius, he is easily misunderstood.

～であるばかりか

～であるばかりか means 'not only...but also...'. Emphatic version of だけでなく. Used to add surprising additional information.

彼は天才であるばかりか、努力家でもある。
He is not only a genius but also a hard worker.

～にあたっては

～にあたっては means 'at the time of/when...'. Used for occasions, events, or starting something important. は adds contrast/emphasis.

海外支社の設立にあたっては、市場調査を徹底した。
When it comes to establishing the overseas branch, we thoroughly conducted market research.

～でありながら

～でありながら means 'despite being.../although...'. Formal. Used to contrast status/identity with unexpected behavior.

彼は医者でありながら、患者を無視した。
Despite being a doctor, he ignored the patient.

～だからといって

～だからといって means 'just because...doesn't mean...'. Used to deny that A necessarily leads to B.

彼は金持ちだからといって、人から愛されるとは限らない。
Just because he is rich, it doesn't necessarily mean he is loved by people.

～だけ～ても

～だけ～ても means 'no matter how much.../even if...'. Emphasizes that despite doing A to the fullest, B doesn't happen or B still happens.

この薬は飲むだけ飲んでも、病気は進行する。
No matter how much of this medicine you take, the disease will progress.

～だけに

～だけに means 'precisely because.../all the more because...'. Emphasizes that A is the reason for B. Used when the reason is obvious.

この仕事は危険なだけに、責任感が求められる。
Precisely because this job is dangerous, a sense of responsibility is required.

～でありながらも

～でありながらも is an emphatic form of でありながら. Means 'even though.../despite being...'. も adds emphasis to the contrast.

彼は金持ちでありながらも、心の貧しい人を見捨てない。
Even though he is rich, he doesn't abandon people who are poor in spirit.

～をよそに

～をよそに: 'indifferent to / ignoring others' concern.' N + をよそに.

国民の不安をよそに、政府は増税を打ち出した。
Indifferent to citizens' anxiety, the government announced a tax increase.

～が早いか

'No sooner had A happened than B immediately followed.' V辞書形+が早いか. Very literary/formal.

試合終了の笛が鳴るが早いか、選手たちはコートに倒れた。
No sooner did the final whistle blow than the players collapsed on the court.

～極まりない

'Extremely / in the extreme.' Na-adj+極まりない or Na-adj+極まる. Very formal, often negative nuance.

彼女の勇気は見事極まりないと称賛された。
Her courage was praised as being extremely admirable.

～手前

'Because of one's position/face/pride.' The speaker cannot act freely because of obligations from having declared or done something. N/Vた+手前.

手伝うと言った手前、断るわけにはいかない。
Because I said I would help, I cannot refuse.