adverbial N1 uncommon politewritten
〜にして — at (a stage/age) / in (an instant)
〜にして ・ にして
Meaning
① ①: at / even at (a stage or age) — marks a point on a scale, often with surprise that it took until then or that it happened so early
② ②: in / within (a very short time) — emphasizes how quickly something happened
Key sentence
① ①
父は六十にして、新しい言語を学び始めた。
At sixty, my father began learning a new language.
② ②
地震で町は一瞬にして瓦礫と化した。
In an instant, the earthquake reduced the town to rubble.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (age / stage / span of time) | N + にして | 六十にして / 一瞬にして |
Examples
① ①
この年にして初めて、親の苦労が分かった。
Only at this age did I finally understand my parents' hardships.
② ②
築き上げた名声が、一夜にして崩れ去った。
The reputation he had built collapsed overnight.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 今にして思えば ('looking back now') is a fixed phrase combining sense ① with 思えば.
See 〜にして in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜にして 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.