Japanese from zero · N2 Lesson 19
Minju's interviews
〜ないことには ・ 〜てでも ・ 〜てこそ ・ 〜てまで
In this lesson, you will learn to say that nothing happens until you take a step with 〜ないことには, that you will reach a goal even if it costs you with 〜てでも, that only one way makes something possible with 〜てこそ, and to ask whether a goal is worth going that far with 〜てまで. It is October, and Minju is getting ready for online interviews with companies in Seoul.
By the end you will be able to say
受けて みないことには、わからない。Until I actually take them, I won't know.
今夜は、徹夜してでも 準備する。Tonight I'll get ready, even if it means staying up all night.
自分の 国で 働いてこそ、家族の 近くに 住める。Only by working in my own country can I live near my family.
徹夜してまで 準備するの？Are you going so far as to stay up all night to prepare?
家族の 近くで 働いてこそ、親孝行が できる。It's only by working near my family that I can do right by my parents.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜ないことには〜ない — unless (you do X), (Y) won't happen — ない-form + ことには, then a negative: until you take that step, nothing else can happen.
- 〜てでも — even if it means (doing something hard) — て-form + でも says you will reach a goal even if it takes a hard step: 徹夜してでも 準備する.
- 〜てこそ — only by (doing); it is by doing ... that — て-form + こそ says that only by doing X does Y become possible or real.
- 〜てまで — go so far as to (and is it worth it?) — て-form + まで says someone goes so far as to take an extreme step, often with doubt: そこまでして.