Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“…, but … would still be acceptable/understandable”
🎯 Primary Function
Used to indicate that while one thing (A) is undesirable or unacceptable, another thing (B) would be relatively more acceptable, understandable, or better.
📋 Grammar Structure
[Noun/Plain form/〜の/〜こと] なら/は まだしも、[後件] (よりひどい/もっと許容できること) [だ/ます/など]
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used, but perhaps slightly less common than in informal or general contexts.
Informal Situations
Commonly used in everyday conversation to express opinions or complaints.
Written Language
Appears in various forms of writing, including articles, essays, and fictional works.
Spoken Language
Frequently used in conversation.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing dissatisfaction or complaint
Comparing a current undesirable situation to a less undesirable hypothetical one.
Example: 昨日雨が降ったのはまだしも、今日も一日中降っているのは最悪だ。(Kinou ame ga futta no wa madashimo, kyou mo ichinichijuu futte iru no wa saiwaku da.) – It rained yesterday, which was one thing, but it raining all day again today is the worst.
Setting a baseline of acceptability
Stating that a certain level or situation is understandable, but anything beyond that is not.
Example: 少しの遅刻ならまだしも、1時間も待たせるなんて信じられない。(Sukoshi no chikoku nara madashimo, ichijikan mo mataseru nante shinjirarenai.) – Being a little late is one thing, but making someone wait for an hour is unbelievable.
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Frequency
Moderately frequent in N2 level conversation and writing.
Difficulty
Intermediate to Advanced (N2)
Example Sentences
彼の英語は下手なのはまだしも、いつも約束を破るのが問題だ。
His English being poor is one thing (acceptable to some extent), but the problem is that he always breaks promises.
テストで赤点を取るのはまだしも、提出もしなかったのは怠慢すぎる。
Getting a failing grade on the test is one thing, but not even submitting it is simply too lazy.
値段が高いならまだしも、サービスも悪いのは納得できない。
If the price were just high, that would be one thing, but I can’t accept bad service on top of that.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Expresses relative tolerance/acceptability
“A まだしも B” implies that while A is perhaps not ideal, it is significantly more acceptable or understandable than B. The focus is on the greater unacceptability of B.
Example: 暑いのはまだしも、湿気がひどいのは耐えられない。(Atsui no wa madashimo, shikke ga hidoi no wa taerarenai.) – Being hot is one thing, but terrible humidity is unbearable.
Often follows 〜なら or 〜は
Commonly attaches to nouns or clauses followed by 〜なら or 〜は.
Example: 子供ならまだしも、大人がそんなことを言うなんて。(Kodomo nara madashimo, otona ga sonna koto o iu nante.) – If it were a child, that would be one thing, but for an adult to say such a thing…
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using it to mean “at least”
✅ While it implies “at least X would be better than Y”, it doesn’t translate directly to “at least” in the sense of expressing a minimum requirement or positive outcome.
まだしも highlights the *unacceptability* of the latter part compared to the former, rather than just stating something positive about the former part.
❌ Confusing it with 〜はともかく
✅ 〜はともかく means “leaving X aside” or “regardless of X”, focusing on prioritizing Y. まだしも focuses on the *degree of acceptability* or tolerance.
〜はともかく sets the first part aside as something not to be considered at the moment, while まだしも uses the first part as a baseline to show how much worse the second part is.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. Not specifically polite or impolite. Depends on the surrounding language.
Social Situations: Used in situations where one is comparing two undesirable things and highlighting the difference in their degree of undesirability or unacceptability.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese.
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜はともかく vs まだしも
ともかく means “leaving aside” or “regardless of”. まだしも means “X would be understandable, but Y is worse”.
When to use: Use ともかく when you want to set aside the first point to discuss the second. Use まだしも when you want to say the first point is acceptable *relative* to the second, which is less acceptable.
〜ならまだいい vs まだしも
〜ならまだいい is a slightly more informal way of saying “that would still be okay/better”. まだしも feels slightly more formal or emphatic about the contrast.
When to use: 〜ならまだいい is suitable for casual conversation. まだしも can be used in a wider range of contexts, including more structured arguments.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Attaches directly after the plain form of verbs/adjectives, nouns, or phrases ending with 〜の or 〜こと. Nouns often take 〜なら or 〜は before まだしも.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pay attention to the slight pause or emphasis before まだしも, highlighting the contrast.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of it as setting a “threshold” of acceptability: “Up to this point (A) is still understandable/acceptable, but anything beyond that (B) is not.”
Vocabulary List
昨日
kinou
yesterday
一日中
ichinichijuu
all day long
最悪
saiwaku
the worst
遅刻
chikoku
lateness, tardiness
信じられない
shinjirarenai
unbelievable
下手
heta
poor at, unskillful
約束を破る
to break a promise
Kanji List
昨日
きのう
yesterday
一日中
いちにちじゅう
all day long
最悪
さいあく
the worst
遅刻
ちこく
lateness, tardiness
時間
じかん
time, hour
信
しん
believe
約束
やくそく
promise
破
やぶ
break
問題
もんだい
problem
赤点
あかてん
failing grade
提出
ていしゅつ
submission
Practice Exercises
会議に少し遅れるのは＿＿、来ないなんて無責任だ。
はもちろん
でも
ならまだしも
どころか
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