「〜といっても過言ではない」- Emphasizing Extremity

Explanation

This grammar structure is used to emphasize that something is of such a high degree that it would not be an exaggeration to say so. It is a way to express strong affirmation or evaluation, often used in formal writing and situations.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜といっても過言ではない	Plain form of a sentence + 「といっても過言ではない」	Indicates an exaggeration that is not considered excessive, suitable for emphasizing the importance, uniqueness, or extremity of something.

Basic Usage

Used to confirm a statement, especially when emphasizing a certain degree or situation.

Examples

• インターネットいんたーねっとの普及ふきゅうとともに、情報じょうほうが溢れてあふれていて、人々ひとびとは情報じょうほうの洪水こうずいに投げ出されているなげだされているといっても過言ではないだろう。

  Intaanetto no fukyuu to tomo ni, jouhou ga afurete ite, hitobito wa jouhou no kouzui ni nagedasarete iru to itte mo kagen de wa nai darou.

  With the spread of the internet, information is overflowing, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that people are being swept away by a flood of information.

  
  

• 彼かれは私わたしの命いのちの恩人おんじんだと言っても過言ではない。

  Kare wa watashi no inochi no onjin da to itte mo kagen de wa nai.

  It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is my lifesaver.

  
  

• 今年ことしの経済危機けいざいききは過去かこ最悪さいあくと言っても過言ではない。

  Kotoshi no keizai kiki wa kako saiaku to itte mo kagen de wa nai.

  It would not be an exaggeration to say that this year's economic crisis is the worst in history.

Deep Dive

「〜といっても過言ではない」 is widely used in formal contexts, especially in written language. It emphasizes the reasonableness and accuracy of a statement. This expression reflects the Japanese cultural attitude of being cautious with words and valuing the feelings of others.

Real-Life Scenarios

• Used in academic papers to emphasize the importance of research findings.
• Used in formal speeches to emphasize the correctness of a viewpoint.
• Used in news reports to describe the severity or impact of an event.

Summary

「〜といっても過言ではない」 is an expression used to emphasize the extremity of something, suitable for formal contexts. It reflects the Japanese cultural attitude of being cautious and respectful with words, and it helps in understanding societal attitudes toward language in everyday communication.