particle N1 rare writtenliterary
〜だに — even (just) ~
〜だに ・ だに
Meaning
- even (just) ~ — a highly literary 'even', stressing that the minimal degree alone already produces the effect; with a negative, 'not even ~'
Key sentence
そんな悲劇は想像するだに恐ろしい。
Such a tragedy is terrifying even to imagine.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb of thought/perception (dictionary form) | V-dict + だに | 想像する → 想像するだに、思う → 思うだに |
| Noun (typically with a negative predicate) | N + だに + …ない | 微動 → 微動だにしない 'doesn't budge an inch' |
When: Literary and largely fixed — appears in a small set of expressions, not freely productive. Everyday Japanese uses さえ or も.
Examples
あの日のことは思い出すだに胸が痛む。
Even just remembering that day makes my chest ache.
彼は微動だにせず立っていた。
He stood without moving an inch.
助かるとは夢にだに思わなかった。
I never even dreamed I would be saved.
When you can't use it
- Not freely attachable like さえ. It is limited to a few set patterns — verbs of imagining/thinking (想像するだに, 思うだに) and the fixed negative 微動だにしない / 〜だに〜ない. Don't build novel 〜だに phrases on ordinary nouns.
Easily confused with
See 〜だに in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜だに the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.