Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 46
Asked to give the speech
〜に忍びない ・ 〜でも何でもない/〜くも何ともない ・ 〜とて ・ 〜たりとも ・ ただ〜のみだ
In this lesson, you will learn to say you cannot bear to do something with 〜に忍びない, to say something is not the least bit so with 〜でも何でもない and 〜くも何ともない, to say 'even I' or 'even a manager' with 〜とて, to say 'not even one' with 〜たりとも, and to say all that is left is one thing with ただ〜のみだ. It is January, and Tanaka and Sakura have a favor to ask Lisa.
By the end you will be able to say
二人の 頼みを 断るに忍びない。I can't bear to turn down the two of them.
スピーチは 負担でも何でもない。The speech is no burden at all.
私とて、堅い 日本語は 緊張する。Even I get nervous about formal Japanese.
一言たりとも 間違えられない。I can't get even a single word wrong.
後は ただ 書くのみだ。All that's left is to write it.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜に忍びない — can't bear to (do it) — A verb's dictionary form + に忍びない says your feelings will not let you do something.
- 〜でも何でもない / 〜くも何ともない — not ... at all — A noun or a な-adjective + でも何でもない, or an い-adjective's く + も何ともない, flatly denies something.
- 〜とて — even (someone like) ... — A noun + とて says 'even X', and that X is no exception to what follows.
- 〜たりとも — not even one — One + a counter + たりとも + a negative says 'not even a single one'.
- ただ〜のみだ — all that's left is to ... — ただ + a verb's dictionary form + のみだ says there is only one thing left to do.