Structure
Noun + なしで(は)
Phrase + なしだ
Noun + なし + の + Noun
Details
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Formal
使用域
硬い
About なし
Although it is used almost exclusively as a suffix, なし is actually a noun that means ないこと 'thing without'. なし, or 無し when using kanji, will be used after nouns that it is indicating as 'not having (A)'.
Depending on what the speaker wants to convey, なし is often partnered with the auxiliary verb だ, or its conjunctive form で. なしで will mean '(A) that is without (B)'. When connected directly to another noun, の will be required after なし. Again, this will mean '(A) that is without (B)'.
Depending on what the speaker wants to convey, なし is often partnered with the auxiliary verb だ, or its conjunctive form で. なしで will mean '(A) that is without (B)'. When connected directly to another noun, の will be required after なし. Again, this will mean '(A) that is without (B)'.
- その考えは間違いなしだ。That way of thinking is without error. (That way of thinking is flawless)
- 許可なしで公園に店を出さないで下さい。Please don't put up a store in the park without permission.
- 肉なしの人気料理はなんですか。What is a popular dish without meat?
- 昨日は沢山食べたから、今日は昼飯なしにする。Because I ate a lot yesterday, I am going to skip eating lunch today.
- 先輩が来ると盛り下がるから、先輩なしにしよう。Let's avoid inviting our senpai because he kills the mood.
Caution
無し is quite different to 抜き, another suffix-like structure that is used to convey 'without (A)'. The primary difference is in the original meanings of these words. Having a relationship with ない, なし simply means 'without'. 抜き comes from the う - Verb 抜く 'to remove'. Due to this, 抜き implies the intentional removal of something. Often 抜き and 無し are interchangeable, but not always.- わさび抜きでお願いします。Remove the wasabi please.
- 唐辛子無しでお願いします。Without the red peppers please.
Synonyms
Examples
商品ラベル:「砂糖なしのダイエットドリンク」
Product label: 'Diet drink without sugar'
ことわざ:「死人に口なしだ。」
Proverb: 'Dead men tell no tales.' (Literally - Without a mouth)
告白:「あなたなしで生きていけない。」
Confession of love: 'I cannot live without you.'
エッセイ:「今では現生人類はスマホなしでは生活できないだろう。」
Essay: 'Nowadays, modern humans probably cannot live without smartphones.'
テスト飛行は文句なしの成功でした。
The test flight was an undisputed success.
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なし – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (6 in total)
Aythreuk
Pushindawood
@Aythreuk Hey! You are right. It looks like the “formal tags” are not showing up during reviews. You should be seeing “硬” on the grammar point’s main page which indicates that the grammar point is formal. We will update reviews so that they also display the correct tags. Cheers!
Aythreuk
I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t know that about that kanji. Wanikani only taught it to me as meaning ‘stiff’, but with a little hindsight it’s an easy connection to make.
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