Posted inN1 Grammar

Unnecessary? Not Worth It? Mastering ～までもない (mademonai) for JLPT N1

Posted inN1 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Indicates that an action is not necessary, not worth doing, or goes without saying.

🎯 Primary Function

To express that the situation is so obvious, simple, or insignificant that the action described by the verb is entirely redundant or unnecessary.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (dictionary form) + までもない

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in formal writing or speech to dismiss the need for an action or explanation due to its obviousness or triviality.

😊 Informal Situations

Less common than in formal contexts, but can be used to strongly emphasize that something is super easy or obvious.

✍️ Written Language

Very common in written texts like articles, essays, and official communication.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used, but typically in more considered or formal speech.

💡 Common Applications

Dismissing the need for explanation.
When something is clearly understandable or known, explaining it is unnecessary.
Example: これは簡単な問題だから、説明するまでもない。
Indicating an action is too easy or trivial.
When the effort required for an action is negligible, it is not worth doing.
Example: こんな些細なことで彼に謝るまでもない。
Stating something is undeniably true.
When a fact is so evident that proving or stating it is redundant.
Example: 彼の実力は証明するまでもないほどだ。
📊
Frequency
Moderate frequency in advanced and written Japanese.
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N1
Example Sentences
これは簡単な問題だから、説明するまでもない。
This is an easy problem, so there’s no need to explain it.
結果は明らかだ。言うまでもないだろう。
The result is obvious. It probably goes without saying.
こんな些細なことで彼に謝るまでもない。
There’s no need to apologize to him for such a trivial thing.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Implies a strong degree of unnecessary action.
The grammar indicates the action is not just unnecessary, but strikingly so, often because the context makes it obvious, easy, or trivial.
Example: これは言うまでもない真実だ。(This is a truth that goes without saying.)
Can be used with specific verbs like 言う (iu) or 見る (miru).
Forms common fixed phrases like 言うまでもない (it goes without saying) or 見るまでもなく (without even looking).
Example: 言うまでもなく、彼女は最高の Kandidat である。(Needless to say, she is the best candidate.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using までもない for situations where the action might actually be beneficial or necessary.
✅ Use 必要はない or べきではない instead if the action is not strictly redundant but inadvisable or not obligatory.
までもない strongly implies redundancy due to obviousness/ease, not just a lack of general necessity.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Relatively neutral, but can sometimes sound slightly dismissive depending on the context and tone.
Social Situations: Appropriate in contexts where stating the obviousness of something is acceptable or expected, such as academic arguments or professional communication.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations.

🔍 Subtle Differences

～までもない vs. ～必要はない
必要はない is a general statement of lack of necessity. までもない specifically highlights the redundancy due to obviousness, ease, or insignificance.
When to use: Use 必要はない for a general lack of need. Use までもない when the lack of need is very clear or the task is very trivial.
～までもない vs. ～なくてもいい
～なくてもいい is a milder expression meaning “don’t have to” or granting permission/stating lack of obligation. までもない is a stronger assertion of inherent redundancy.
When to use: Use ～なくてもいい when something is optional or not strictly required. Use までもない when doing the action is clearly pointless or redundant.
～までもない vs. ～には及ばない
～には及ばない means “doesn’t reach the level of” or “is not comparable,” often implying something falls short or doesn’t need to go that far. までもない is about the complete lack of necessity of an action due to its self-evident nature.
When to use: Use ～には及ばない when comparing levels or suggesting an action is too extreme. Use までもない when the action is simply unnecessary because it’s obvious or too easy.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Connects directly to the dictionary form of a verb. No conjugation needed for までもない itself.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced `made mo nai`. The particle も adds emphasis, highlighting that “even up to that point (of doing X), it is nothing (unnecessary)”.

🧠 Memory Tips

Remember the common phrase 「言うまでもない」 (It goes without saying) as a core example. Visualize the action being so simple or obvious that you wouldn’t even need to “go up to” the point of doing it.

Practice Exercises
この問題は(　　)までもないほど易しい。
①説明する
②説明した
③説明しない
④説明させて
彼の優勝は(　　)までもない事実だ。
①言う
②言った
③言わない
④言わせて
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