Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 1: 12/17

を良(い)い事(こと)に

To take advantage of

Similar to ～を言い訳に、～いい機会に

Structure

Verb + の + をいいことに（して）
Noun + （なの）+ をいいことに（して）
［い］Adjective + の + をいいことに（して）
［な］Adjective + なの + をいいことに（して）

Details

  • Register

    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

About をいいことに

を良(い)いことに is an expression in Japanese that may be translated as 'to take advantage of (A)', and generally refers to someone that is using (A) as a good opportunity to do something that is either immoral, or irresponsible. This construction is a combination of を, the い-Adjective 良(い)い 'good', the noun こと 'thing', and the particle に. A more literal translation can be thought of as 'making good of (A), (B)', although the nuance is exactly the same as 'to take advantage of (A)' in English.
を良(い)いことに will be seen following verbs, nouns, い-Adjectives and な-Adjectives, but will be preceded by either の or なの in all cases, based on standard conjugation rules for の.
  • 顔(かお)が見(み)えないのを良(い)いことにひどいことを書(か)き込(こ)む人(ひと)は最低(さいてい)だと思(おも)う。
    I think that people who write terrible things on the internet, taking advantage of anonymity, are the worst.
  • 彼(かれ)が優(やさ)しいのを良(い)いことに、クラスメイトたちは彼(かれ)をいじめた。
    Taking advantage of his niceness, his classmates bullied him.
  • 彼女(かのじょ)は美人(びじん)であるのを良(い)いことに、色々(いろいろ)な男(おとか)からお金(かね)を騙(だま)し取(と)った。
    Taking advantage of her great looks, she swindled many men out of their money.
  • 休(やす)みなのを良(い)いことに、友達(ともだち)と一日中(いちにちじゅう)ゲームをした。
    Taking advantage of my day off, I played video games all day with my friend.
It is also quite common to see して attached to the end of を良(い)いことに without any significant change in either meaning or strength.
  • 先生(せんせい)の耳(みみ)が遠(とお)いのをいいことにして、授業(じゅぎょう)中(ちゅう)に友達(ともだち)と話(はな)していた。
    Taking advantage of my teacher being hard of hearing, I was talking with my friends during class.

Examples

  • 夏休(なつやす)みのうちは住人(じゅうにん)の留守(るす)をいいことに泥棒(どろぼう)が増(ふ)えるばかりだ。

    During summer vacation, taking advantage of absent residents, thefts only increase.

  • 先生(せんせい)の目(め)が悪(わる)いのをいいことに試験(しけん)中(ちゅう)にカンニングしていた。

    Taking advantage of the teacher's bad sight, I cheated during the exam.

  • コンマンはうちの子供(こども)が幼(おさな)いのをいいことに家(いえ)の鍵(かぎ)や携帯(けいたい)を詐欺(さぎ)で巻(ま)き上(あ)げた。

    A con man took advantage of my child's young age and swindled (him) of (his) house keys and cellphone.

  • 田中(たなか)さんってば自分(じぶん)が大臣(だいじん)なのをいいことに姪(めい)を省(しょう)で縁故(えんこ)採用(さいよう)した。

    That Tanaka-san... He took advantage of his position as a minister, and got his niece a job in ministry.

  • 記事(きじ)：「この期間(きかん)に多(おお)くの家族(かぞく)が親類(しんるい)を訪(おとず)れる。それをいいことに空(から)っぽの家(いえ)に泥棒(どろぼう)にはいる人(ひと)もいる。」

    Article: 'During this period, many families visit relatives. Some people take advantage of it and steal from empty households.'

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