Lesson 26
Attitude & spoken emphasis
- 1 〜てはばからない ~te wa habakaranai (say / do) ~ openly, without any hesitation When someone boldly says out loud what others would keep to themselves — the language of articles and news.
- 2 〜に忍びない ~ni shinobinai can't bear to ~ (out of pity or attachment) When doing something would hurt your heart too much — throwing away, watching, saying no.
- 3 〜に恥じない ~ni hajinai worthy of ~ / living up to ~ Keeping up the standard of a name, title or tradition — a respectful form for speeches and writing.
- 4 〜をいいことに ~o ii koto ni taking (unfair) advantage of ~ Using someone's absence, kindness or weakness as a 'chance' to do as you please — a critical tone.
- 5 〜てみせる ~te miseru I'll show you I can ~ / I'll definitely ~ 'Just watch — I'll do it!' — the spoken form of firm determination.
- 6 〜もなんともない ~mo nan tomo nai not ~ at all 'Does it hurt?' 'Nope, not one bit!' — the spoken way to flatly deny what others assume.
- 7 〜やしない ~ya shinai (definitely) not ~ / won't ~ at all 'As if he'd ever listen!' — a strong spoken 'no', full of irritation, resignation or reassurance.
- 8 〜もしないで ~mo shinaide without even ~ing (criticism) When someone skips even the minimum and rushes into something — 'without even doing that?'
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.
🔒
「部長は、自分の考えだけが正しいと言って＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:About someone who says it boldly in front of others.
言ってはばからない = says it without any hesitation. 「てみせる」is the speaker's own vow, 「やしない」attaches to the ます-stem (言いやしない), and 「忍びない」needs the dictionary form + に.
「十年かわいがってきた犬を手放すに＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Love makes you unable to do it.
手放すに忍びない = I can't bear to give him up. 「に恥じない」needs a name or honour before it, 「をいいことに」is taking unfair advantage, and 「てはばからない」attaches to the て-form.
「創業百年の老舗の名に＿＿味を守り続けたい。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A standard worthy of the name.
名に恥じない味 = a taste worthy of the name. 「忍びない」is pity, and 「やしない」and 「みせる」attach to verbs, not after 「名に」.
「先輩が優しいの＿＿、彼は面倒な仕事を全部押しつけている。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Abusing the senior's kindness.
優しいのをいいことに = taking advantage of the senior's kindness (to dump the tedious work). 「に忍びず」「に恥じず」and 「もしないで」fit neither the meaning nor the attachment here.
「見ていろよ。来年こそ、絶対に優勝して＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:'Just watch!' — firm determination.
優勝してみせる = I'll win, you'll see. 「てはばからない」is about someone speaking out boldly, 「やしない」means 'won't at all' (the opposite), and 「もなんともない」only goes with い-adjectives.
「夜の山道、怖くなかった？」「全然。＿＿よ。」— which is right?
💡 Hint:Flatly denying what the other person assumed.
怖くもなんともなかった = it wasn't scary at all. 「てみせる」and 「てはばからない」don't attach to an い-adjective's て-form, and 「怖がりもしないで」is a critical form that makes no sense as this reply.
「あの子は、いくら言っても宿題を＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:An irritated 'as if he'd ever do it!'
しやしない = never does it. 「してみせる」is the speaker's own vow (it doesn't fit いくら言っても), 「宿題をしてはばからない」makes no sense, and 「するに忍びない」is pity.
「彼はろくに調べ＿＿、記事に間違いがあると決めつけた。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:「ろくに」needs a negative, and a clause follows.
ろくに調べもしないで = without even checking properly (criticism). 「やしない」can't link mid-sentence, 「てみせて」has no negative, and 「るに忍びず」is pity.
Your score: /8