Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 6: 13/17

でなくてなんだろうIf … is not … then what is?

Structure

Noun + でなくてなん + だろう(1)（か）

(1)であろう

Details

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    Formal

About でなくてなんだろう

でなくてなんだろう is a formal pattern that appears following nouns that the speaker is certain is something which is true. It can be translated as 'if it's not (A), then what is it?'. でなくてなんだろう is a combination of the conjunctive form of the auxiliary verb だ, で, the conjunctive form of the い-Adjective ない, なくて, the prefix なん 'what', and the volitional form of だ, だろう. As can be seen, the literal and common translations are quite similar.

Occasionally でなくてなんだろう will be followed by the sentence-ending particle か. This just emphasizes the point further, without changing the nuance.

In most cases, でなくてなんだろう will be used to ask a rhetorical question, or to strongly assert the speaker's own opinion about something.

Examples

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    注射(ちゅうしゃ)を打(う)った後(あと)にすぐ亡(な)くなった…これがワクチンのせいでなくてなんだろう。

    They died straight after they got a shot... If this isn’t the vaccine’s fault, then what is it?

      勉強(べんきょう)しなかったのにテストで１００点(てん)をとるとは！天才(てんさい)でなくてなんだろう！

      To think that despite not studying you got 100 points on the test! If that’s not genius, then what is?

        まさか扉(とびら)が勝手(かって)に開(ひら)くとは…これが心霊(しんれい)現象(げんしょう)でなくてなんだろうか。

        To think that the door would open by itself... If this isn’t a psychic phenomenon, then what is?

          ずっと一緒(いっしょ)に寄(よ)り添(そ)いたいと思(おも)うこの気持(きも)ちが愛(あい)でなくてなんだろう。

          If this feeling of always wanting to snuggle up close together isn’t love, then what is it?

            頼(たよ)れる家族(かぞく)がいて仲(なか)のいい友達(ともだち)がいて愛(あい)する恋人(こいびと)がいて…これが幸(しあわ)せでなくてなんだろう。

            Having a reliable family, close friends, and a partner that you love... If this isn’t happiness, then what is?

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                でなくてなんだろう – Grammar Discussion

                Most Recent Replies (1 in total)

                • pampel

                  pampel

                  I think it would be helpful if you mentioned that using other ways of negating the expression (e.g. じゃなくて・ではなくて) may look like they’d have the same meaning but apparently lack the nuance of a rhetorical question, so it sounds like you are asking an actual question.

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