JLPT N1 grammar
〜ならいざしらず — Meaning & Examples
"X would be one thing, but..." — a pointed, raised-eyebrow contrast. 子供ならいざしらず、大人が言うなんて.
〜ならいざしらず — "X Would Be One Thing, But..."
ならいざしらず sets up a contrast: "if it were X, that I could understand/accept — but this is a completely different, less excusable situation."
Pattern: [noun] + ならいざしらず、[contrasting statement]
子供ならいざしらず、大人がそんな失礼なことを言うなんて。
= If it were a child, that'd be one thing, but for an adult to say something so rude...
昔ならいざしらず、今の時代にそんな考え方は通用しない。
= That might have flown in the old days, but that way of thinking doesn't work now.
初心者ならいざしらず、ベテランの彼がそんなミスをするとは。
= If he were a beginner, fine, but for a veteran like him to make such a mistake...
Key feeling: Raised eyebrows — "I could let X slide, but THIS is a different story entirely, and it's much less forgivable."
Quick recap of all four:
・なしに(は) = without X (flexible written negative) 🚫
・をものともせず = undaunted by X (resilience) 🦁
・はおろか = let alone X, not even Y (backward intensifier) 📉
・ならいざしらず = X would be one thing, but... (raised-eyebrow contrast) 🤨
🎊 You can now express absence, defiance, extreme comparison, and pointed contrast — real courtroom-and-editorial-grade Japanese!
Practice questions
Try these 2 questions on 〜ならいざしらず. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 「子供ならいざしらず、大人がそんな失礼なことを言うなんて。」 means?
- Children are always rude
- If it were a child, that'd be one thing, but for an adult to say something so rude...
- Adults are never rude
- Children should say rude things
Show answer
Answer: If it were a child, that'd be one thing, but for an adult to say something so rude...
ならいざしらず = X would be one thing, but... — a pointed, raised-eyebrow contrast between an excusable case and this less-excusable one.
2. 「努力することなしに、成功は望めない。」 uses which construction?
- なしに alone with a noun
- をものともせず
- ならいざしらず
- ことなしに after a verb dictionary form
Show answer
Answer: ことなしに after a verb dictionary form
〜ことなしに attaches なしに to a verb via こと — "without doing X" — a construction なくして doesn't take as naturally.
Practise 〜ならいざしらず in the free app
This point is part of the “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N1 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N1 grammar points
From the same lesson: Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜ならいざしらず mean?
"X would be one thing, but..." — a pointed, raised-eyebrow contrast. 子供ならいざしらず、大人が言うなんて.
Is 〜ならいざしらず on the JLPT N1 test?
〜ならいざしらず is taught in the JLPT N1 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜ならいざしらず?
Open the “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N1 mock exams, with no ads.