Naw, not even!
Expressing the minimum expectation
In this section, we'll learn various ways to express the minimum expectation. This grammar is not used as often as you might think as there are
many situations where a simpler expression would sound more natural, but you should still become familiar with it.
Using ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ to describe the minimum requirement
In English, we might say, "not even close" to show that not even the minimum expectation has been met. In Japanese, we can express this by
attaching ใใใใ to the object or verb that miserably failed to reach what one would consider as a given. Let's see some examples of this with nouns
first. You can also use the same grammar in a positive sentence to show that that is all you need to produce a desired effect.
Examples
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใๅฎฟ้กใๅคใใใฆใใใคใฌใซ่กใๆ้ใใใชใใฃใใ
- There was so much homework, I didn't even have time to go to the bathroom.
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใใ้ใใใใใฐใไฝใงใๅบๆฅใใใ
- The least you need is money and you can do anything.
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใใๅผๅฝใ่ฒทใใ้ใใใชใใฃใใ
- I didn't even have money to buy lunch.
For nouns only, you can add ใใงใ and use ใใงใใใ instead of just ใใใใ. There are no grammatical differences but it does sound a
bit more emphatic.
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใ็งใงใใๅบๆฅใใฐใใใใใซใฏๆฅฝใกใใงใใใใ
- If even I can do it, it should be a breeze for you.
You can also attach ใใใใ to the stem of verbs to express a minimum action for a result. This is usually followed up immediately by ใใใใ to
show that the minimum action was done (or not done in the case of negative).
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใใใฟใใณใ้ฃในใใใใใฐใๅฅๅบทใไฟ่จผใใใพใใใ
- If you just eat vitamins, your health will be guaranteed.
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใ่ชๅใฎ้ใกใ่ชใใใใใชใใใฐใๅ้กใฏ่งฃๆฑบใใชใใใ
- The problem won't be solved if you don't even recognize your own mistake, you know.
Using ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ to describe the minimum requirement
- For nouns, attach ใใใใ or ใใงใใใ to the minimum requirement
- ไพ๏ผใ็งใใ - even me
- ไพ๏ผใๅญไพใงใใ - even children
- For verbs, change the verb to the stem and attach ใใใใ
- ไพ๏ผใ้ฃใน
ใ โ ้ฃในใใ
- ไพ๏ผใ่กใ โ ่กใ โ ่กใใใ
ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ - Same as ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ but different?
ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ is a variation of ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ that means essentially the same thing and is used in the exact same way. However, it is more obscure and is usually
ignored in favor of ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ. The main reason we are covering it here is because since it's the same as ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ, it's a cinch to go over. Plus, it's covered
in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) level 1 (if you're thinking of taking that).
Examples
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใใใฎๅคฉๆใฎ็งใงใใใใใใชใใฃใใ
- Even a genius such as myself couldn't solve it.
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใ็งใฏ็ทๅผตใใใใฆใใกใใฃใจ่ฆใใใจใใๅบๆฅใพใใใงใใใ
- I was so nervous that I couldn't even take a quick peek.
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใใไบบใใฎๆผขๅญใใ็ฅใใชใ็ๅพใฏใใใชใใงใใ๏ผ
- There are no students that don't even know the ใไบบใ kanji!
ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ is used in exactly the same way as ใ๏ผใง๏ผใใใ and means the same thing to boot
- For nouns, attach ใใใใ or ใใงใใใ to the minimum requirement
- ไพ๏ผใ็งใใ - Even me
- ไพ๏ผใๅญไพใงใใ - Even children
- For verbs, change the verb to the stem and attach ใใใใ
- ไพ๏ผใ้ฃใน
ใ โ ้ฃในใใ
- ไพ๏ผใ่กใ โ ่กใ โ ่กใใใ
- However, it is more common to attach the generic noun ใใใจใ to the verb and just
treat the whole thing as a regular noun. ๏ผie ้ฃในใใใจใใ and ่กใใใจใใ๏ผ
ใใใใใ - It's not even worth considering
I suspect this grammar comes from the adjective ใๆใใ which means to be foolish or stupid. However, in this case, you're not making fun of something, rather by
using ใใใใใ, you can indicate that something is so ridiculous that it's not even worth considering. In English, we might say something
like, "Are you kidding? I can't touch my knees much less do a full split!" In this example, the full split is so beyond the person's abilities that it would
be foolish to even consider it.
Examples
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใๆผขๅญใฏใใใใใฒใใใชใใ่ชญใใชใใ๏ผ
- Forget about kanji, I can't even read hiragana!
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใ็ตๅฉใฏใใใใ2ใถๆไปใๅใฃใฆใ็ตๅฑๅฅใใฆใใพใฃใใ
- We eventually broke up after going out two months much less get married.
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผใๅคงๅญฆใฏใใใใ้ซๆ กใใๅๆฅญใใชใใฃใใ
- I didn't even graduate from high school much less college.
