Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 31
Home from Seattle
〜とは打って変わって ・ 〜を境に ・ 〜にも増して ・ 〜も同然だ
In this lesson, you will learn to say that someone or something is completely unlike before with 〜とは打って変わって, to mark the moment a change began with 〜を境に, to say something is even more so than before with 〜にも増して, and to say something is as good as something else with 〜も同然だ. It is April of Lisa's second year at work, and Tanaka is coming home from Seattle.
By the end you will be able to say
弟は 以前とは打って変わって、よく 話す ように なった。My little brother is nothing like before: he talks a lot now.
留学を境に、生活が 一変した。Studying abroad was the turning point: my life changed completely.
羽田空港は、去年にも増して 込んで いた。Haneda Airport was even more crowded than last year.
あの 二人は、もう 家族も同然です。Those two are as good as family now.
今日は 昨日とは打って変わって、晴れて いる。Today it's sunny, completely unlike yesterday.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜とは打って変わって — completely unlike (before) — Noun + とは打って変わって says something has turned completely around from how it was at that time.
- 〜を境に — from (that point) on — Noun + を境に marks the moment a clear change began: one way before it, another way after it.
- 〜にも増して — even more than — Noun + にも増して says something is even more so than the thing named, which was already high.
- 〜も同然だ — as good as; no different from — Noun (or a verb's plain past) + も同然だ says something is not literally so, but is practically the same.