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## Meaning & Usage
ならいざしらず draws a sharp contrast between two situations: one the speaker considers excusable or understandable (A), and another that clearly is not (B). Breaking down the components makes the meaning click. <a href="/en/grammar/n4/nara-conditional">**なら**</a> is the conditional form of the copula だ — "if it were." **いざ** is an archaic exclamatory word meaning "well now" or "come now," drawn from classical Japanese. **しらず** is the classical negative of <ruby>知<rt>し</rt></ruby>る (to know), meaning "not knowing" or "leaving aside." Taken literally: "If it were [A], well — I would not even know what to say. But [B] is an entirely different matter."
What it communicates is: "[A] might slide — but [B] absolutely does not." Situation A serves as the reference point, something lenient enough that the speaker can almost excuse it. Situation B, stated in the main clause, is the actual target of the criticism. The contrast is deliberate: establishing A first makes B look worse by design.
ならいざしらず belongs to a **formal and literary register**. You will find it in newspaper editorials, opinion essays, political commentary, academic writing, and formal speeches. Drop it into casual conversation and it sounds stiff — almost like quoting from a history textbook. For informal contexts, ならともかく or はまだしも carry the same contrast at a register the situation can actually handle.
At its heart, ならいざしらず carries frustrated disbelief. The implication is that the person or situation in the main clause should know better — that even the most forgiving standard anyone could apply has been obviously exceeded. That edge makes it effective when someone has clearly overstepped: an adult acting like a child, or a specialist making a beginner's mistake.
One way to feel the pattern: "Even [A] — at its most lenient — barely passes. So what [B] is doing is simply indefensible." Setting a permissive benchmark first and then showing how far B has fallen short of even that is the move that gives ならいざしらず its critical force. The judgment lands harder because the speaker first conceded as much ground as possible.
## Structure & Formation
ならいざしらず attaches directly to nouns and to the plain forms of verbs and adjectives. The first clause (A) presents the excusable or understandable scenario, and the main clause (B) expresses the actual situation the speaker finds unacceptable, surprising, or problematic.
**Core Pattern:** [A] ならいざしらず、[B] — where A is the forgivable benchmark and B is the contrasting, problematic reality.
<table><thead><tr><th>Word Type</th><th>Formation</th><th>Example</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Noun</td><td>Noun + ならいざしらず</td><td><ruby>子供<rt>こども</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず (if it were a child)</td></tr><tr><td>Verb (plain form)</td><td>Verb (plain) + ならいざしらず</td><td><ruby>知<rt>し</rt></ruby>らないならいざしらず (if one did not know)</td></tr><tr><td>い-adjective</td><td>い-adj (plain) + ならいざしらず</td><td><ruby>安<rt>やす</rt></ruby>いならいざしらず (if it were cheap)</td></tr><tr><td>な-adjective</td><td>な-adj stem + ならいざしらず</td><td><ruby>暇<rt>ひま</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず (if one were free)</td></tr></tbody></table>
The main clause (B) typically contains expressions of criticism, disbelief, prohibition, or inadvisability: 〜はおかしい (is strange/wrong), 〜は<ruby>許<rt>ゆる</rt></ruby>されない (is unacceptable), 〜とは<ruby>信<rt>しん</rt></ruby>じられない (I cannot believe that), 〜は<ruby>問題<rt>もんだい</rt></ruby>だ (is a problem), 〜とは<ruby>驚<rt>おどろ</rt></ruby>きだ (what a surprise), or 〜はしないほうがいい (you should not do that).
**Important note for な-adjectives:** Do not add な before ならいざしらず. Because ならいざしらず already begins with なら (the conditional copula), adding な beforehand is redundant and grammatically incorrect. Use only the stem: <ruby>暇<rt>ひま</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず, not <ruby>暇<rt>ひま</rt></ruby>なならいざしらず.
## Example Sentences
### Group 1: Contrasting Experience and Skill Level
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>子供<rt>こども</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>大人<rt>おとな</rt></ruby>がそんな<ruby>言<rt>い</rt></ruby>い<ruby>訳<rt>わけ</rt></ruby>をするのは<ruby>恥<rt>は</rt></ruby>ずかしいことだ。</p>
<p class="romaji">kodomo nara iza shirazu, otona ga sonna iiwake wo suru no wa hazukashii koto da.</p>
<p class="translation">A child might be forgiven for that, but it is shameful for an adult to make such excuses.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>初心者<rt>しょしんしゃ</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、プロがこんなミスをするとは<ruby>信<rt>しん</rt></ruby>じられない。</p>
<p class="romaji">shoshinsha nara iza shirazu, puro ga konna misu wo suru to wa shinjirarenai.</p>
<p class="translation">A beginner might be forgiven, but I cannot believe a professional would make such a mistake.</p>
</div>
### Group 2: Contrasting Time Periods
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>昔<rt>むかし</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>今<rt>いま</rt></ruby>の<ruby>時代<rt>じだい</rt></ruby>にそんな<ruby>考<rt>かんが</rt></ruby>え<ruby>方<rt>かた</rt></ruby>は<ruby>通用<rt>つうよう</rt></ruby>しない。</p>
<p class="romaji">mukashi nara iza shirazu, ima no jidai ni sonna kangaekata wa tsuuyou shinai.</p>
<p class="translation">That kind of thinking might have passed in the past, but it simply does not hold up anymore.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>戦時中<rt>せんじちゅう</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>現代<rt>げんだい</rt></ruby>ではそのような<ruby>扱<rt>あつか</rt></ruby>いは<ruby>許<rt>ゆる</rt></ruby>されない。</p>
<p class="romaji">senjichuu nara iza shirazu, gendai de wa sono you na atsukai wa yurusarenai.</p>
<p class="translation">Such treatment might have been understandable during wartime, but it is not acceptable in modern times.</p>
</div>
### Group 3: Contrasting Places and Contexts
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>田舎<rt>いなか</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>東京<rt>とうきょう</rt></ruby>でそんな<ruby>服装<rt>ふくそう</rt></ruby>は<ruby>目立<rt>めだ</rt></ruby>ってしまう。</p>
<p class="romaji">inaka nara iza shirazu, Toukyou de sonna fukusou wa medatte shimau.</p>
<p class="translation">Such attire might be fine in the countryside, but in Tokyo it would stand out conspicuously.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>趣味<rt>しゅみ</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>仕事<rt>しごと</rt></ruby>でそんないい<ruby>加減<rt>かげん</rt></ruby>な<ruby>態度<rt>たいど</rt></ruby>は<ruby>許<rt>ゆる</rt></ruby>されない。</p>
<p class="romaji">shumi nara iza shirazu, shigoto de sonna iikagen na taido wa yurusarenai.</p>
<p class="translation">Such carelessness might be fine as a hobby, but it is completely unacceptable at work.</p>
</div>
### Group 4: Contrasting Quantity and Frequency
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>少<rt>すこ</rt></ruby>しならいざしらず、<ruby>毎日<rt>まいにち</rt></ruby><ruby>五時間<rt>ごじかん</rt></ruby>もゲームをするのは<ruby>良<rt>よ</rt></ruby>くない。</p>
<p class="romaji">sukoshi nara iza shirazu, mainichi gojikan mo geemu wo suru no wa yokunai.</p>
<p class="translation">A little might be acceptable, but playing video games for five hours every single day is not good.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>一度<rt>いちど</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>何度<rt>なんど</rt></ruby>も<ruby>同<rt>おな</rt></ruby>じ<ruby>失敗<rt>しっぱい</rt></ruby>を<ruby>繰<rt>く</rt></ruby>り<ruby>返<rt>かえ</rt></ruby>すのは<ruby>問題<rt>もんだい</rt></ruby>だ。</p>
<p class="romaji">ichido nara iza shirazu, nandomo onaji shippai wo kurikaesu no wa mondai da.</p>
<p class="translation">Making a mistake once might be forgivable, but repeatedly making the same mistake over and over is a problem.</p>
</div>
### Group 5: Contrasting People and Roles
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>素人<rt>しろうと</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>医者<rt>いしゃ</rt></ruby>がこんな<ruby>基本的<rt>きほんてき</rt></ruby>なことを<ruby>知<rt>し</rt></ruby>らないとは<ruby>驚<rt>おどろ</rt></ruby>きだ。</p>
<p class="romaji">shirouto nara iza shirazu, isha ga konna kihonteki na koto wo shiranai to wa odoroki da.</p>
<p class="translation">A layperson might not know, but it is astonishing that a doctor does not know something this basic.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>学生<rt>がくせい</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>社会人<rt>しゃかいじん</rt></ruby>がそんな<ruby>基本的<rt>きほんてき</rt></ruby>な<ruby>礼儀<rt>れいぎ</rt></ruby>を<ruby>知<rt>し</rt></ruby>らないのは<ruby>困<rt>こま</rt></ruby>る。</p>
<p class="romaji">gakusei nara iza shirazu, shakaijin ga sonna kihonteki na reigi wo shiranai no wa komaru.</p>
<p class="translation">A student might not know better, but it is a real problem if a working adult does not know such basic etiquette.</p>
</div>
### Group 6: Other Notable Contrasts
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>緊急事態<rt>きんきゅうじたい</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>普通<rt>ふつう</rt></ruby>の<ruby>状況<rt>じょうきょう</rt></ruby>でそんな<ruby>無礼<rt>ぶれい</rt></ruby>な<ruby>言<rt>い</rt></ruby>い<ruby>方<rt>かた</rt></ruby>はしないほうがいい。</p>
<p class="romaji">kinkyuujitai nara iza shirazu, futsuu no joukyou de sonna burei na iikata wa shinai hou ga ii.</p>
<p class="translation">In an emergency it might be understandable, but in normal circumstances you should avoid speaking so rudely.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>知<rt>し</rt></ruby>らないならいざしらず、<ruby>知<rt>し</rt></ruby>っていながら<ruby>黙<rt>だま</rt></ruby>っていたのは<ruby>許<rt>ゆる</rt></ruby>せない。</p>
<p class="romaji">shiranai nara iza shirazu, shitte inagara damatte ita no wa yurusenai.</p>
<p class="translation">Not knowing might be forgiven, but knowing the truth and staying silent is simply unforgivable.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>冗談<rt>じょうだん</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>本当<rt>ほんとう</rt></ruby>にそう<ruby>思<rt>おも</rt></ruby>っているのなら<ruby>大<rt>おお</rt></ruby>きな<ruby>問題<rt>もんだい</rt></ruby>だ。</p>
<p class="romaji">joudan nara iza shirazu, hontou ni sou omotte iru no nara ooki na mondai da.</p>
<p class="translation">If it were a joke, it might be fine — but if you actually think that way, it is a serious problem.</p>
</div>
<div class="example-sentence">
<p class="jp"><ruby>夏<rt>なつ</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>真冬<rt>まふゆ</rt></ruby>に<ruby>薄着<rt>うすぎ</rt></ruby>で<ruby>外<rt>そと</rt></ruby>に<ruby>出<rt>で</rt></ruby>るのは<ruby>体<rt>からだ</rt></ruby>に<ruby>良<rt>よ</rt></ruby>くない。</p>
<p class="romaji">natsu nara iza shirazu, mafuyu ni usugi de soto ni deru no wa karada ni yokunai.</p>
<p class="translation">It might be fine in summer, but going outside in light clothing in the dead of winter is bad for your health.</p>
</div>
## Common Mistakes
### Mistake 1: Using ならいざしらず in Casual Speech
❌ ねえ、<ruby>子供<rt>こども</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、あなたがそれをやるのは<ruby>変<rt>へん</rt></ruby>じゃない？
✅ <ruby>子供<rt>こども</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、あなたのような<ruby>大人<rt>おとな</rt></ruby>がそんなことをするのはおかしい。
ならいざしらず belongs to a formal, literary register — it sounds out of place in casual conversation. Pairing it with sentence-final forms like じゃない？ or ね compounds the awkwardness. In informal situations, ならともかく or ならまだしも are the natural choices. The correct version above also keeps a formal register throughout the whole sentence, not just in the ならいざしらず clause itself.
### Mistake 2: Reversing the Logical Order
❌ プロならいざしらず、<ruby>初心者<rt>しょしんしゃ</rt></ruby>がミスをするのは<ruby>当然<rt>とうぜん</rt></ruby>だ。
✅ <ruby>初心者<rt>しょしんしゃ</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、プロがミスをするとは<ruby>驚<rt>おどろ</rt></ruby>きだ。
The ならいざしらず clause *must* contain the excusable, more lenient situation (A), while the main clause states what is actually problematic or surprising (B). Placing the criticized situation before ならいざしらず reverses the entire logic, producing a sentence that is either nonsensical or means the opposite of what was intended. Always ask: "Which situation is the forgivable benchmark?" — that is the one that belongs before ならいざしらず.
### Mistake 3: Adding な After a な-adjective Stem
❌ <ruby>暇<rt>ひま</rt></ruby>なならいざしらず、<ruby>忙<rt>いそが</rt></ruby>しい<ruby>人<rt>ひと</rt></ruby>がそんなことに<ruby>時間<rt>じかん</rt></ruby>をかけるべきではない。
✅ <ruby>暇<rt>ひま</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>忙<rt>いそが</rt></ruby>しい<ruby>人<rt>ひと</rt></ruby>がそんなことに<ruby>時間<rt>じかん</rt></ruby>をかけるべきではない。
With な-adjectives, use only the stem directly before ならいざしらず. Because ならいざしらず already begins with なら (the conditional copula form of だ), inserting な before it creates a double-copula construction that is both redundant and grammatically wrong. Treat the な-adjective stem as a noun when attaching this expression.
### Mistake 4: Leaving the Main Clause Incomplete
❌ <ruby>昔<rt>むかし</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず。（<ruby>文<rt>ぶん</rt></ruby>が<ruby>完結<rt>かんけつ</rt></ruby>していない）
✅ <ruby>昔<rt>むかし</rt></ruby>ならいざしらず、<ruby>今<rt>いま</rt></ruby>はそんなやり<ruby>方<rt>かた</rt></ruby>は<ruby>通用<rt>つうよう</rt></ruby>しない。
ならいざしらず is a conjunctive expression — it sets up a contrast and *must* be followed by a complete main clause that delivers the actual judgment or criticism. A sentence ending with ならいざしらず alone is unfinished and leaves the listener waiting for a conclusion. The full contrast — A ならいざしらず、B — is what makes the sentence grammatically and logically complete.
### Mistake 5: Confusing ならいざしらず with ならともかく
❌ <ruby>今日<rt>きょう</rt></ruby>は<ruby>忙<rt>いそが</rt></ruby>しいならいざしらず、<ruby>明日<rt>あした</rt></ruby>なら<ruby>手伝<rt>てつだ</rt></ruby>えるでしょ？（カジュアルな<ruby>場面<rt>ばめん</rt></ruby>に<ruby>不適切<rt>ふてきせつ</rt></ruby>）
✅ <ruby>今日<rt>きょう</rt></ruby>は<ruby>忙<rt>いそが</rt></ruby>しいならともかく、<ruby>明日<rt>あした</rt></ruby>なら<ruby>手伝<rt>てつだ</rt></ruby>えるでしょ？
Both expressions contrast an excusable situation with an actual one, but register and emotional weight differ sharply. ならいざしらず is formal, literary, and carries a strong tone of moral judgment or reproach. ならともかく is neutral and natural in everyday conversation. When the intent is simply to bracket one possibility before discussing another — without strong criticism — ならともかく is the correct and more natural choice.
## Cultural Notes
Much of ならいざしらず's formal flavor comes from the word いざ itself. In classical Japanese poetry and literature, いざ — meaning "well now" or "come" — was a common exclamatory marker; in modern everyday speech, it has all but vanished. Its survival in this expression is part of why the phrase feels slightly old-fashioned, as though lifted from a written essay or formal address. In serious writing and rhetoric, that archaic quality becomes an asset: it signals gravity and authority.
Direct criticism in Japanese can read as confrontational — a challenge to the social harmony (和, *wa*) that shapes much of everyday interaction. ならいざしらず softens the approach: by first acknowledging that A would at least be understandable, the speaker appears measured before the actual criticism of B lands. That face-saving structure fits naturally within a language tradition that consistently prefers indirection when disapproval must be stated.
Frustrated disbelief is where ならいざしらず feels most at home — when someone has obviously violated a social standard or professional norm. The unspoken message is: "Even granting the most generous interpretation I can manage, what you did still does not hold up." The formal register sharpens that message, making plain this is not a casual complaint but a considered judgment.
Newspaper editorials use ならいざしらず to structure arguments. Granting the lenient benchmark (A) up front makes the actual case (B) appear all the more indefensible by comparison. The persuasive logic sits in the concession itself: once the writer has acknowledged what would barely be acceptable, showing how far reality falls even below that standard needs very little additional argument.
## JLPT Tips
ならいざしらず appears consistently on N1 grammar tests, most often in fill-in-the-blank questions where the sentence contrasts a forgivable benchmark (A) with an unacceptable reality (B). The key question to ask: **which situation is being framed as the lenient, excusable case?** That one always belongs in the ならいざしらず clause. The criticized situation fills the main clause.
On multiple-choice questions, ならいざしらず is most often confused with **ならともかく**. Register is the deciding factor. If the passage is clearly formal — newspaper, essay, speech — and the tone carries moral judgment or reproach, ならいざしらず is almost certainly the answer. If the sentence is conversational and the contrast is neutral, ならともかく fits better. Exam writers deliberately build distractors around this distinction.
In reading passages, ならいざしらず is a flag: the author is about to deliver a judgment. The ならいざしらず clause sets a generous standard; the main clause is where the real criticism lands. Recognizing that structure early helps you locate the author's main point and read their tone — both common targets in comprehension questions.
For writing or speaking sections, one accurate use of ならいざしらず in a formal essay carries real weight. Put the excusable situation before the expression, keep the main clause focused on a clear value judgment, and hold a formal register throughout. Evaluators notice when a learner handles literary-register grammar correctly — it is harder to fake than vocabulary range alone.
One sentence changed — in Group 2's first example translation:
Before:
it does not hold in today's world.After:
it simply does not hold up anymore.