「ないがらに」- Expressing Contrast and Surprise

Explanation

〜ないがらに is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express contrast between two situations. Its primary meaning is "even though it is a certain situation, still..." and it is pronounced as 「ないがらに（naigarani）」.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜ないがらに	Noun/Verb Dictionary Form + ないがらに	Expresses contrast and surprise in a specific situation, emphasizing "even though..."

Basic Usage

Examples

• 子供こどもないがらに、大人おとながこんなミスみすをするなんて、許ゆるせない。
• Kodomo naigara ni, otona ga konna misu o suru nante, yurusenai.
• Even though it's a child, it's unforgivable for an adult to make such a mistake.
  

• 学生がくせいないがらに、彼かれは授業じゅぎょうを全然ぜんぜん聞きいていない。
• Gakusei naigara ni, kare wa jugyou o zenzen kiiteinai.
• Even though he's a student, he doesn't listen to the class at all.
  

Deep Dive

〜ないがらに is not limited to basic usage and can be applied in more complex contexts to express nuanced emotions and attitudes.

Advanced Usage

• Expressing surprise or dissatisfaction:
  • 子供こどもないがらに、こんなに高たかいレストランれすとらんに行いくなんて、驚おどろいた。
  • Kodomo naigara ni, konnani takai resutoran ni iku nante, odoroita.
  • Even though it's a child, I was surprised that they went to such an expensive restaurant.
    
• Expressing contrast or contradiction:
  • 彼かれは大人おとなないがらに、いつも子供こどものように振ふる舞まう。
  • Kare wa otona naigara ni, itsumo kodomo no you ni furumau.
  • Even though he's an adult, he always behaves like a child.
    

Real-Life Scenarios

1. Conversation Scenario: At school, a teacher is surprised by a student's performance.
   • 老师ろうし：子供こどもないがらに、こんなに難むずかしい問題もんだいを解とけるなんて、すごい！
   • Kodomo naigara ni, konnani muzukashii mondai o tokeru nante, sugoi!
   • Even though it's a child, it's amazing that they can solve such a difficult problem!
     
2. Conversation Scenario: At work, colleagues are dissatisfied with a coworker's behavior.
   • 同事どうじA：彼かれは大人おとなないがらに、会議かいぎ中、ずっと携帯けいたいを見みている。
   • Kare wa otona naigara ni, kaigi-chuu, zutto keitai o miteiru.
   • Even though he's an adult, he keeps looking at his phone during the meeting.
     

Common Mistakes

• Mistake 1: Confusing ないがらに with ないがらず. Although they are similar, ないがらず emphasizes a stronger tone of negation and dissatisfaction.

• Mistake 2: Neglecting to clearly describe the specific situation in the first part, which can make the contrast unclear. The first part should clearly describe the specific state or situation to make the contrast more explicit.

Grammar Knowledge

〜ないがらに is an important part of advanced Japanese grammar, often used in written language and formal settings. Understanding this grammar point not only improves the accuracy of Japanese expression but also helps in better understanding the etiquette and attitudes in Japanese culture.

Summarizing the usage and characteristics of 〜ないがらに helps Japanese learners use this grammatical structure more flexibly in their expressions.