modality N2 common casualpolitewritten
〜に越したことはない — there's nothing better than ~
〜に越したことはない ・ にこしたことはない
Meaning
- there's nothing better than ~ / it's best to ~ / you can't beat ~ing — all else equal, ~ is the ideal
Key sentence
健康のためには、よく寝るに越したことはない。
For your health, there's nothing better than getting plenty of sleep.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb (dictionary form) / i-adjective / noun | V(dict)／i-adj／N + に越したことはない | 寝るに越したことはない / 安いに越したことはない |
Examples
同じ物なら、安く買えるに越したことはない。
If it's the same item, you can't beat getting it cheaper.
念のため、用心するに越したことはない。
Just in case, it's best to be cautious.
給料は高いに越したことはない。
When it comes to salary, higher is always better.
When you can't use it
- A set expression — the 越した looks like a past tense but is frozen, so the form never changes. It states an obvious ideal ('of course more/better of X is preferable').
Easily confused with
See 〜に越したことはない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜に越したことはない 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 Advanced Japanese Grammar. Editorial confidence: medium.