Lesson 19
Assertion: no need / that's all / if that's not ~, what is
- 1 〜までもない ~made mo nai there's no need to ~ / needless to say The matter is so small or so obvious that 'there's no need to go that far'.
- 2 〜までだ ~made da (I'll) just ~ / I merely ~ A calm resolve — 'if there's no other way, I'll just ~' — and a modest reply — 'I only did ~'.
- 3 〜ばそれまでだ ~ba sore made da once ~, that's the end of it / it's all for nothing However hard you worked, if one thing happens it is all wasted — 'that's where it ends'.
- 4 〜には当たらない ~ni wa ataranai there's no need to ~ / it's not worth ~ Surprise, blame, worry or praise — a form that calms the reaction: 'this doesn't call for that'.
- 5 〜でなくてなんだろう ~de nakute nan darō if this isn't ~, what is? (it surely is ~) A moved or angry rhetorical question — 'this can't be anything but ~' — in stiff, written style.
- 6 〜には及ばない ~ni wa oyobanai there is no need to ~ (formal) A formal, polite way to tell someone 'you needn't go to that trouble'.
- 7 〜ほどのことではない ~hodo no koto de wa nai not serious enough to ~ / not worth ~ The matter is small — taking that big a step would be too much. Works in speech and writing.
- 8 〜ても差し支えない ~te mo sashitsukaenai it's all right to ~ / ~ is no problem (formal) The formal 「てもいい」— the language of permission at offices, hospitals and companies.
Lesson check
All 8 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「このくらいの雨なら、傘をさす＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Light rain — no need to even open an umbrella.
さすまでもない = no need to even open an umbrella. 「ばそれまでだ」follows only the ば-form and 「でなくてなんだろう」only a noun; 「には当たらない」only goes with verbs of feeling or judging.
「誰も手伝ってくれないなら、一人でやる＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:No other way — a decision to do it yourself.
やるまでだ = I'll just do it alone. 「には当たらない」only goes with feeling verbs; 「ほどのことではない」and 「には及ばない」mean 'no need to' — that clashes with 'nobody will help'.
「いくら才能があっても、努力しなければ＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Talent, but no effort — all wasted.
しなければそれまでだ = without effort, talent is wasted. 「までもない」and 「には及ばない」follow the dictionary form; 「差し支えない」= no problem — the opposite meaning.
「十年間、一日も休まず病気の母を世話した。これが愛＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A moved question: it is surely love.
愛でなくてなんだろう = if this isn't love, what is? The other three all follow a verb's dictionary form, not a noun like 「愛」.
「一度失敗したくらいで、悲観する＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A feeling like despair is too much.
悲観するには当たらない = no reason to lose hope. 「までだ」is the speaker's resolve, 「ばそれまでだ」follows the ば-form, 「でなくてなんだろう」only a noun.
「書類は郵送しますので、わざわざお越しいただく＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Polite office language: no need to come.
お越しいただくには及びません = there's no need to come all the way (formal). 「までです」= I'll just come — wrong meaning; 「ばそれまでです」follows the ば-form, 「でなくてなんでしょう」only a noun.
「少し熱があるだけで、仕事を休む＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The matter is small — a day off would be too much.
休むほどのことではない = not serious enough to take the day off. 「ても差し支えない」needs the て-form (休んでも), 「でなくてなんだろう」a noun, 「ばそれまでだ」the ば-form.
「お返事は、来週に＿＿。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Formal permission: next week is fine too.
なっても差し支えありません = it's fine even if it's next week. 「までもない」needs a deliberate action, 「でなくてなんだろう」a noun, 「には当たらない」a feeling verb.
Your score: /8