Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 45
A good year's end
〜こそすれ/〜こそあれ ・ 〜こそ〜が ・ 〜を顧みず ・ いずれにせよ ・ 〜という〜
In this lesson, you will learn to say 'if anything A, never B' and 'there may be A, but' with 〜こそすれ and 〜こそあれ, to admit something and turn the sentence with 〜こそ〜が, to say someone acted without regard for a risk with 〜を顧みず, to say 'either way' with いずれにせよ, and to say 'every last one' with 〜という〜. It is December, and the trade department's year-end party brings news from Seattle.
By the end you will be able to say
お茶は、店という 店で 売り切れに なりました。The tea sold out in every last shop.
部長と あいさんには、感謝こそすれ、不満なんて ありません。Toward Mori and Ai I feel nothing but gratitude, and no complaint at all.
苦労こそ ありましたが、やりがいの ある 一年でした。There was hardship, it's true, but it was a year worth the effort.
危険も 顧みず、もう 一度 挑戦しました。Regardless of the risk, I tried again.
いずれにせよ、来年も 続けます。Either way, we'll carry on next year.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜こそすれ / 〜こそあれ — if anything A, never B; there may be A, but — AこそすれB(ない) says 'if anything A, but never B'; Nこそあれ says 'there may be N, but'.
- 〜こそ〜が / 〜こそ〜けれど — A, it's true, but ... — AこそBが (or けれど) admits A strongly, then turns to what the speaker really wants to say.
- 〜を顧みず / 〜も顧みず — without regard for ... — Nを顧みず (or Nも顧みず) says someone acts without regard for a danger, their health or the people who depend on them.
- いずれにしても / いずれにせよ — either way; in any case — After two or more possibilities, いずれにしても, いずれにせよ or いずれにしろ says 'whichever it is, this holds'.
- 〜という〜 — every last ... — A noun + という + the same noun says every single one, without exception.