JLPT N1 Grammar
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Even if not... at least
Category: Condition and Hypothesis
The grammar pattern "動（ナイ形）＋までも" is used to express a compromise or a realistic goal when an ideal or perfect state may not be achievable. It indicates that while the ideal may not be met, at least a certain lower but acceptable level should be achieved. This pattern is often used in situations where perfection is not possible, but a certain level of achievement is still desirable. For example, in a situation where it's impossible to get a perfect score, the speaker may say "せめて平均点以上は取っておきたい" (at least get above average).
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Negative form of the verb (ナイ形) | 動（ナイ形）＋までも | 食べないまでも、水分を補給する |
| Negative form of the verb (ナイ形) with て-form | 動（ナイ形）て＋までも | 行かないまでも、準備をしておく |
| Negative form of the verb (ナイ形) with て-form and ば-form | 動（ナイ形）て＋ばまでも | 行かないまでも、準備をしておくば、失敗しない |
完璧とはいかないまでも、せめて平均点以上は取っておきたい。
Kansetsu to wa ikanaitemo, semete beikingu tō o kaete okitai.
Even if we can't be perfect, at least we should get above average.
完璧とはいかないまでも (even if we can't be perfect) + せめて (at least) + 平均点以上は取っておきたい (get above average)
全額返済はできないまでも、利息分だけでも今月中に払ってほしい。
Zen'eki henjai wa dekinaimo, ritsu-bu dake demo kyuugetsu ni tsukatteru hoshii.
Even if we can't pay the full amount, at least we should pay the interest by the end of this month.
全額返済はできないまでも (even if we can't pay the full amount) + 利息分だけでも (at least the interest) + 今月中に払ってほしい (pay by the end of this month)
毎日運動を続けることはできないまでも、週に二、三回は続けるつもりだ。
Mainichi undō o tsuzukeru koto wa dekinaimo, shū ni ni, san-kai wa tsuzukeru tsukurimono da.
Even if we can't exercise every day, we should at least exercise two or three times a week.
毎日運動を続けることはできないまでも (even if we can't exercise every day) + 週に二、三回は (at least two or three times a week) + 続けるつもりだ (we should continue)
This pattern is used to express a compromise or a realistic goal when an ideal or perfect state may not be achievable. It's often used in situations where perfection is not possible, but a certain level of achievement is still desirable. The negative form of the verb (ナイ形) is used to indicate the ideal or perfect state, and the word "までも" is used to indicate the compromise or realistic goal.
～ないまでも is used to indicate that something is not possible because of a certain reason or cause. For example, "食べないまでも、体重が増える" (because I don't eat, my weight increases).
Using a positive verb form before ～までも can change the meaning of the sentence. For example, "食べまでも、体重が増える" (even if I eat, my weight increases) is not the same as "食べないまでも、体重が増える" (because I don't eat, my weight increases).
Mismatching the scale can change the meaning of the sentence. For example, "完璧とはいかないまでも、平均点以下は取っておきたい" (even if we can't be perfect, we should get below average) is not the same as "完璧とはいかないまでも、平均点以上は取っておきたい" (even if we can't be perfect, we should get above average).
Pay attention to the negative form of the verb (ナイ形) and the word "までも". Make sure to use the correct form and word to express the intended meaning.
完璧とはいか______、せめて平均点以上は取っておきたい。
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