modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
ことはない — there is no need to ~
ことはない
Builds on こと
Meaning
- there's no need to ~ / you don't have to ~ — reassures that an action isn't necessary
Key sentence
君が謝ることはない。
There's no need for you to apologize.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb (dictionary form) | V(dict) + ことはない | 謝ることはない / 心配することはない |
Examples
そんなに急ぐことはないよ。時間はまだある。
There's no need to rush — there's still time.
一度の失敗で落ち込むことはない。
There's no need to get down over a single failure.
わざわざ来ることはありません。電話で十分です。
There's no need to come all this way — a phone call is plenty.
When you can't use it
- Often consoling or reassuring in tone — used to talk someone out of an unnecessary worry or effort ('no need, so don't trouble yourself').
Easily confused with
See ことはない in real sentences
Jengo shows ことはない 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 Intermediate Japanese Grammar.