Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 9: 13/20

ならいざ知(し)らず

Don’t know about it, Maybe it would or might be possible for

Structure

Most common pattern:
Noun + なら(1) + いざ知(し)らず

Less common patterns:
Verb + （の）+ なら(1) + いざ知(し)らず
［い］Adjective + （の）+ なら(1) + いざ知(し)らず
Noun + であれば(2) + いざ知(し)らず
Noun + は + いざ知(し)らず

(1) ならば(2) だったら

Details

  • Register

    Formal

  • 使用域

    硬い

About ならいざ知らず

ならいざ知(し)らず is a grammar expression which combines the hypothetical form of the auxiliary verb だ, なら, the adverb いざ ‘now’, or ‘well then’, and the classically-negated form of the う-Verb 知(し)る, 知(し)らず ‘to not know’. It is often translated as ‘I don’t know about (A), but (B)’, or ‘maybe (A), but (B). This phrase is formal, and usually used to emphasize that, regardless of (A), (B) fits a specific description.
ならいざ知(し)らず will follow verbs in their standard forms. Additionally, it may follow either な-Adjectives or nouns that have had their terminal だ replaced with なら.
  • 結婚式(けっこんしき)かなんかに出席(しゅっせき)するならいざ知(し)らず、友達(ともだち)の家(いえ)に行(い)くだけなんだからスーツなんて着(き)ていかなくてもいいんじゃない？
    I don't know if you're going to a wedding or something, but since you're just going to your friend's house, you probably don't have to wear a suit.
  • 15分(ふん)待(ま)つならいざ知(し)らず、いくら友達(ともだち)でも30分(ぷん)以上(いじょう)待(ま)つのは無理(むり)だ。
    It may be possible for me to wait for 15 minutes, but I won’t be able to wait more than 30 minutes, no matter how good of a friend they are.
  • 経験(けいけん)豊富(ほうふ)で仕事(しごと)が上手(じょうず)ならいざ知(し)らず、まだ始(はじ)めたばかりの子(こ)にこの仕事(しごと)を任(まか)せるのはかわいそうすぎますよ。
    I don’t know about people that have a lot of experience and are good at their jobs, but I feel bad giving such work to a person that just started.
  • 平日(へいじつ)ならいざ知(し)らず、連休(れんきゅう)中(ちゅう)に遊園地(ゆうえんち)などのようなところに行(い)く人(ひと)は多(おお)いだろう。
    I don't know about weekdays, but I’m sure that there are a lot of people that go to places like amusement parks during holidays.
Just like the literal translation of ‘if it’s (A), well then I don’t know’, this structure emphasizes that (A) may or may not be the case, but (B) is definite. However, there is no direct use of ‘but’ in Japanese. This shows that the ‘but’ comes from the simple contrast of (A) being unknown while (B) is known.
ならいざ知(し)らず may also be seen following other structures such as い-Adjectives when they have been nominalized with の.
  • 新(あたら)しいのならいざ知(し)らず、前(まえ)のモデルはよく勝手(かって)に電源(でんげん)が落(お)ちたからあまり売(う)れなかったらしい。
    I don’t know about the new ones, but the older models didn’t sell well because they would turn off on their own.
This の pattern is also used with verbs, but it is less common than simply attaching ならいざしらず to one of the standard verb forms.
Fun Fact
In many cases, (A) is an extreme example used to show that (B) is the opposite of that, and is therefore either surprising or irritating.
  • 大昔(おおむかし)ならいざ知(し)らず、現代(げんだい)では詐欺(さぎ)についてよくテレビやインターネットで話題(わだい)になっているから、詐欺(さぎ)の手口(てぐち)も年々(ねんねん)と進化(しんか)していってる。
    I don’t know about the past, but nowadays, scams are often talked about on TV and the internet today, so scam tactics are evolving year by year.
  • 神(かみ)ならいざ知(し)らず、俺(おれ)みたいなやつにはああいうことをする奴(やつ)たちを許(ゆる)すことなどできない。
    I don't know about the gods, but it is very hard for a person like me to forgive people that do things like that.
Caution
Occasionally は will be used instead of なら. However, the meaning of the overall phrase will remain the same.
  • 60年(ねん)前(まえ)はいざ知(し)らず、今(いま)では喫煙(きつえん)する人(ひと)が減(へ)ってきている。
    I don’t know about 60 years ago, but nowadays, there are less people that smoke.

Examples

  • １万(まん)円(えん)は社会人(しゃかいじん)ならいざ知(し)らず、小学生(しょうがくせい)にとっては想像(そうぞう)を絶(ぜっ)する金額(きんがく)だ。

    I don't know about working adults, but for children, 10 000 yen is an unimaginable amount of money.

  • 百(ひゃく)年(ねん)前(まえ)ならいざ知(し)らず、現代(げんだい)のこの国(くに)においては情報(じょうほう)へのアクセスは容易(ようい)になっているからそのようなことを誰(だれ)でも知(し)っているはずだ。

    I don't know about 100 years ago, but in modern times, since access to information is widespread in this country, everybody should know something like that.

    Contrasting the past and present is extremely common with いざ知らず

  • 「運動(うんどう)は不健康(ふけんこう)だからしない」と最近(さいきん)よく聞(き)く。プロのスポーツ選手(せんしゅ)ならいざ知(し)らず、一般(いっぱん)の人(ひと)ならば、運動(うんどう)は有益(ゆうえき)である。

    Recently, I often hear that 'exercising is unhealthy, so I don't do it'. I don't know about professional athletes, but for ordinary people exercising is beneficial.

  • A：「子供(こども)の頃(ころ)、ここでザリガニを釣(つ)ったものだ。」
    B：「昔(むかし)ならいざ知(し)らず、現代(げんだい)では川(かわ)が汚染(おせん)されているから​​無理(むり)です。」

    'When I was a child, I used to catch crayfish here.'
    'I don't know about how it was in the past, but nowadays the river is polluted, so it's impossible.'

  • 「自分(じぶん)一人(ひとり)で衣装(いしょう)を着(き)て楽(たの)しむのならいざ知(し)らず、人前(ひとまえ)にコスプレ姿(すがた)で出(で)るのは私(わたし)にとっては不可能(ふかのう)に近(ちか)いです。」

    'It might be possible to wear the costume by myself for fun, but when it comes to going out in public dressed in cosplay, then it's nigh on impossible!

  • Get more example sentences!

    Premium users get access to 12 example sentences on all Grammar Points.

Self-Study Sentences

Study your own way!

Add sentences and study them alongside Bunpro sentences.

ならいざ知らず – Grammar Discussion

    There's currently no discussion for ならいざ知らず
    Ask questions and learn together with other Bunpro users!

Join the Discussion