Grammar Info
N1 Lesson 9: 7/20

こととて
due to, since, on account of, because

こととて in some contexts can also mean “even”

Structure
Verb + こととて
Verb［ない］+ ぬ(1) + こととて
Noun + の + こととて

(1) ない
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Register Formal
使用域 硬い
Information
  • こととて is an old-fashioned, formal expression that was used to express reason or cause, usually when asking for forgiveness. It has become obsolete and modern Japanese people don’t use it, and usually don’t even know its meaning. However, it might occasionally appear in manga, anime, older novels, formal letters, and historical dramas.慣れぬこととて and 知らぬこととて were common phrases that used こととて.
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《時代（じだい）劇（げき）》A「あなたのお父（とう）さんによろしくお伝（つた）えください。」
B「お父（とう）さんは遥（はる）か昔（むかし）に亡（な）くなりました。」
A「そうでしたか。知（し）らぬこととて、失礼（しつれい）をお許（ゆる）しください。」
A period drama, A: “Please, send my greetings to your father.”
B: “My father passed away long ago.”
A: “Is that so? Please, forgive my rudeness due to my lack of knowledge.”
It is common to see こととて used together with old negative suffix ぬ
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    • 《古（ふる）い手紙（てがみ）》取（と）り込（こ）み中（ちゅう）のこととてご迷惑（めいわく）をおかけしましたがなにとぞご寛容（かんよう）のほどお願（ねが）い申（もう）し上（あ）げます。
    Old letter: “I have caused you a lot of trouble due to being busy, but I would kindly ask for your understanding.”
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    • 「仕事（しごと）になれぬこととて間違（まちが）いをしてしまいました。申（もう）し訳（わけ）ございません。」
    “I made a mistake due to not being accustomed to the work. For that I am awfully sorry.”
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