connective N1 uncommon politewritten
ないまでも — even if not ~ (at least)
ないまでも
Builds on までもない
Meaning
- even if not ~, (at least) ~ — conceding the higher case won't hold but asserting a lesser one does
Key sentence
毎日とは言わないまでも、週に一度は運動したい。
Even if not every day, I'd like to exercise at least once a week.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (nai-form) / Noun + では | Vない + までも (often 〜とは言わないまでも) | 完璧ではないまでも |
Examples
満点ではないまでも、合格点は取れた。
Even if it wasn't a perfect score, I at least got a passing grade.
手伝わないまでも、邪魔はしないでほしい。
Even if you won't help, at least don't get in the way.
Easily confused with
Notes
- Very often in the set frame 〜とは言わないまでも ('while I wouldn't go so far as to say ~').
See ないまでも in real sentences
Jengo shows ないまでも 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.