connective N1 uncommon written
〜ことなしに — without ~ing
〜ことなしに ・ ことなしに
Meaning
- without ~ing — formal/written; the main event happens (or, with は, cannot happen) while the named action never takes place
Key sentence
誰にも会うことなしに、一日が終わった。
The day ended without my meeting anyone.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb dictionary form | V-る + ことなしに(は) | 努力することなしに |
Examples
人の助けを借りることなしに、彼はやり遂げた。
He saw it through without borrowing anyone's help.
痛みを感じることなしに治療は受けられない。
You can't undergo the treatment without feeling any pain.
立ち止まることなしに、彼女は走り続けた。
Without stopping even once, she kept on running.
When you can't use it
- Attaches to the dictionary form only, never the past (✗ 会ったことなしに). When は is added (ことなしには), the main clause is normally negative or impossible — 'without doing X, Y cannot happen.'
Easily confused with
〜ことなく Both are written 'without ~ing.' ことなく simply states the action never happened ('without doing X, not even once'). ことなしに(は) frames X as a necessary means — 'without doing X, Y can't follow' — and usually pairs with a negative main clause. 〜ずに ずに is the everyday/spoken 'without ~ing.' ことなしに is stiff, written, and emphasises X as an indispensable step rather than just a missing action. 〜なしに なしに attaches to a NOUN (許可なしに 'without permission'); ことなしに nominalises a VERB with こと first, so it covers actions.
See 〜ことなしに in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ことなしに the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.