〜ならいざしらず (~nara iza shirazu) — ~ would be one thing, but…
First an 'I'd understand if it were that' case, then 'but here…' — surprise or complaint.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- A senior who has worked at your company for ten years makes a beginner's mistake.
- You think: 'From a newcomer I'd understand it, but from someone with ten years here?'
Meaning
- That is the feeling of 「〜ならいざしらず」.
- First comes an extreme case where the thing would be understandable (a child, a new employee, the old days).
- Then the opposite, real situation now — with surprise, complaint or criticism about it.
How to attach
- Straight to a noun: 新人ならいざしらず
- With a verb or adjective, add 「の」: 海外へ行くのならいざしらず
- 「Nはいざしらず」is also seen in writing.
Versus what you know
- N2「〜はともかく」just pushes a topic aside — 'let's leave that'; 「ならいざしらず」sets two cases face to face — 'that one would be fine, but this one is not' — and usually carries a negative tone.
- The previous point 「はどうあれ」said 'however it is, the same'; here the stress is 'that case and this case are different'.
Watch out
What follows is not praise or a happy fact — the tone is 'I'd understand that, but this is unbelievable!'
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
新人ならいざしらず、入社十年目の社員がこんなミスをするとは。
しんじんならいざしらず、にゅうしゃじゅうねんめのしゃいんがこんなミスをするとは。
From a newcomer I'd understand it, but for an employee ten years into the job to make a mistake like this!
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 新人 = newcomer (mistakes are natural) → 「ならいざしらず」 directly → then the opposite case: 十年目の社員 → 「とは」 shows surprise and complaint.
二十年前ならいざしらず、今どき現金しか使えない店があるなんて。
にじゅうねんまえならいざしらず、いまどきげんきんしかつかえないみせがあるなんて。
Twenty years ago would be one thing, but a shop that takes only cash in this day and age!
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 二十年前 = twenty years ago (cash only was normal then) → 「ならいざしらず」 → then today's situation: 今どき (in this day and age) → 「なんて」 shows surprise.
海外へ行くのならいざしらず、近所に行くだけで大げさだよ。
かいがいへいくのならいざしらず、きんじょにいくだけでおおげさだよ。
If you were going abroad, fine — but this is way over the top just to go around the corner.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 海外へ行く = to go abroad (needs lots of preparation) → it's a verb, so add 「の」: 行くの → 「ならいざしらず」 → then the opposite case: 近所に行くだけ → a complaint with 大げさだ (that's overdoing it).
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「手術が必要な＿＿＿ならいざしらず、ただの風邪で一週間も休むのか。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: What links a な-adjective to ならいざしらず?
な-adj + な + の + ならいざしらず. 必要なのならいざしらず = if surgery were needed, that would be one thing.
In which sentence is 「ならいざしらず」unnatural?
💡 Hint: Before: the case where it would be understandable; after: surprise or complaint about the opposite. Which one breaks this?
After ならいざしらず comes surprise, complaint or 'things are different now' — not praise. It does not fit with the praise 「偉い」.
How does 「ならいざしらず」differ from the N2 「はともかく」?
💡 Hint: Which one sets two cases face to face?
はともかく = set a topic aside. ならいざしらず = compare an extreme case with reality and express surprise or complaint.
Your score: /3