- JLPT N1
なくして
NikoHere are the English translations of the example sentences that we're going to see in this lesson:
- If I hadn’t had that experience, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
- A marriage cannot last without some degree of compromise.
- Living on this world would not be worthwhile without love.
- Had it not been for her help, I never would have been able to run a full marathon.
Looking at those, can you guess what sort of grammar topic we're covering in this lesson?
Maybe? Sort of?
Well, let's take a look:
JLPT N1: なくして (if it weren't for; without)
なくして is used when saying that a desirable thing would be difficult or unlikely without something.
It follows a pattern like this:
A ＋ なくして ＋ B
↓ ↓
Without A, B. // If it weren't for A, then B.
A will be something desirable.
B will be an undesirable outcome (often in the form of "desirable outcome would not happen").
As is usually the case, this will probably make a lot more sense if we just look at some examples.
Here's our first:
あの時の経験なくして今の私はない。
あの とき の けいけん なくして いま の わたし は ない。
If I hadn’t had that experience, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
A = experience at that time
B = my current self would not exist
experience at that time なくして my current self would not exist
→ Without the experience at that time, my current self would not exist.
→ → If I hadn't had that experience, I wouldn't be the person I am today. // It it weren't for that experience, I wouldn't be the person I am today.
Considering that this is an N1 grammar point, I'd argue that it's not very difficult. Hopefully you think so, too. (If not... uh... sorry...)
👷 工事 👷
NOUN ＋ なくして（は）
without NOUN; if it weren't for NOUN
↑ What's that は doing in there?!
Well, sometimes なくして will be followed by は. The meaning is the same.
Like in this example:
いくらかの妥協なくしては、結婚生活は続かない。
いくらか の だきょう なくしては、 けっこん せいかつ は つづかない。
A marriage cannot last without some degree of compromise.
Can you use なくして in everyday speech?
Well, it's pretty stiff-sounding. You're more likely to come across it in written Japanese than in daily speech.
If you want to make phrases like this when speaking Japanese, you'd be better off using a conditional form like this: JLPT N4: ～たら (if).
Still, we'll want to at least be able to understand sentences using なくして. Sentences like this one, for instance:
愛なくしてこの世界は生きるに値しない。
あい なくして この せかい は いきる に あたい しない。
Living on this world would not be worthwhile without love.
Or this one:
彼女の助力なくしては、フルマラソン完走はあり得なかっただろう。
かのじょ の じょりょく なくしては、 フルマラソン かんそう は ありえなかった だろう。
Had it not been for her help, I never would have been able to run a full marathon.
Hopefully someday you'll find yourself writing "NDL なくしては、I never would have aced JLPT N1." ^_^
Niko
