「〜ことなく」- Negative Form

Explanation

〜ことなく is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express negation, meaning "without doing something." It is used in sentences to describe that a certain action or state did not occur. It is pronounced as 「ことなく」.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜ことなく	Verb dictionary form + ことなく	Indicates performing an action without doing something else.

Basic Usage

Examples

• 気温きおんも湿度しつども下さがることなく、蒸むし暑あつい１日にちでした。
• Kion mo shitsudo mo sagaru koto naku, mushiatsui ichinichi deshita.
• Neither the temperature nor the humidity dropped, and it was a humid day.
  

• 怒いかりとはダムだむのようなもので、一度いちど決壊けっかいが生しょうじれば後あとは止とまることなく流ながれ出だす。
• Ikari to wa damu no you na mono de, ichido kekkai ga shoujireba ato wa tomaru koto naku nagaredasu.
• Anger is like a dam; once it breaks, it flows out without stopping.
  

Deep Dive

Usage 1: Negating a Situation

〜ことなく is primarily used to indicate that a certain action or state did not occur. For example:

• 久ひさしぶりに朝あさまで１度ども起おきることなく眠ねむれた。
• Hisashiburi ni asa made ichido mo okiru koto naku nemureta.
• For the first time in a long while, I slept through the night without waking up.
  

• 単位たんいを落おとすことなく無事ぶじに前期ぜんきを終おえた。
• Tani o otosu koto naku buji ni zenki o oeta.
• I safely finished the semester without failing any courses.
  

Comparison and Differences

「〜ことなく」vs.「〜ないで／〜ずに」

The difference between 〜ことなく and 〜ないで／〜ずに is that the former is more formal and typically used in written language. For example:

Expression	Usage	Example	English Translation
〜ことなく	Written language	失敗しっぱいを憂おそれることなく、行動こうどうして欲ほしい。	I hope you act without fearing failure.
〜ないで／〜ずに	Spoken language	失敗しっぱいを恐おそれずに行動こうどうして欲ほしい。	I hope you act without fearing failure.

Real-Life Scenarios

In everyday conversations and written expressions, 〜ことなく can be used to avoid repetitive descriptions, making sentences more concise and formal. For example:

• このサイトさいとでは大人気だいにんきマンガまんがが一話いちわから最新話さいしんわまでお金かねがかかることなく読よめます。
• Kono saito de wa daininki manga ga ichiwa kara saishinwa made kane ga kakaru koto naku yomemasu.
• On this site, you can read popular manga from the first chapter to the latest without spending money.
  

• 部下ぶかと呼よばれる人ひとは自分じぶんの知恵ちえを疑うたがったり心配しんぱいすることなく、ただ上司じょうしから求もとめられることをやればいい。
• Buka to yobareru hito wa jibun no chie o utagattari shinpai suru koto naku, tada joushi kara motomerareru koto o yareba ii.
• As a subordinate, you don’t need to doubt or worry about your wisdom; just do what your boss asks.
  

Summary

〜ことなく is a formal Japanese expression used to indicate negation, primarily in written language. It is used to describe that a certain action or state did not occur and is often used to emphasize the continuity of an action or the inevitability of a result. In practical use, choosing the appropriate expression based on context can make the language more vivid and precise.