# だに: even; not even ~ > Learn how to use だに／だにしない, a JLPT N1 Japanese grammar point meaning even or not even, with structure, nuance, examples, mistakes, and comparisons. JLPT level: N1 · Updated: 2026-05-18 · Canonical: https://hane-app.com/blog/n1-dani-dani-shinai/ **だに／だにしない** means **even; not even ~**. It is a **JLPT N1** Japanese grammar pattern used to express that something reaches an extreme, whether it happens (positive) or, more commonly, doesn’t happen at all. This grammar point often appears in literature, formal essays, and the reading section of the JLPT N1. If you want to add dramatic, emphatic weight to a statement—especially when an action is almost unthinkable—**だに** is a pattern worth mastering. ## What does だに mean? Use **だに** when you want to express that something happens to a degree so extreme it defies expectation. In the positive, it’s “even (did X).” In the negative, with **だにしない** or **だに…ない**, it’s “not even (the most basic action).” Natural translations include: - even; so much as; not even; barely The best translation depends on the surrounding emotion—often shock, fear, or strong judgment. The grammar is highly literary, so English glosses like “couldn’t even begin to” or “dared not so much as” often capture the nuance better than a flat “even.”
だに transforms an ordinary verb into a dramatic statement. When you hear it, expect strong emotion.
## How to form だに The pattern attaches to the **dictionary form** of verbs. Nouns can also be used, but the pattern is predominantly verbal and always literary.
V (dictionary form) ＋ だに （＋ しない ）
Common real-world attachments: - 想像(そうぞう)そうぞうだにしない (not even imagine) - 考(かんがえ)かんがえるだに恐(おそれ)おそろしい (even thinking about it is terrifying) - 口(くち)くちにするだに恥(はじ)はずかしい (even mentioning it is embarrassing) Because **だに** always follows the dictionary form, the only conjugation to double-check is the negative ending on the main verb: **～だにしない** or **～だに…ない** depending on the sentence structure. ## When is だに used? Use **だに** in situations where: - you want to emphasize how extreme or unbelievable an action (or its absence) is - the emotional tone is shocked, horrified, awed, or deeply judgmental - you are writing or speaking in a formal, literary, or narrative register This pattern almost never appears in casual conversation. You’ll find it in novels, speeches, critical essays, and high-stakes JLPT reading passages. When it appears with the negative, it’s almost always **だにしない**, not a separate negative verb that happens to follow **だに**. ## だに example sentences
彼(かれ)かれの言葉(ことば)ことばは想像(そうぞう)そうぞうだにしなかった。
I couldn’t even imagine his words.
past negative
考(かんがえ)かんがえるだに恐(おそれ)おそろしい出来事(できごと)できごとだった。
It was an event so terrifying you couldn’t even bear to think about it.
positive, adjective ending
彼女(かのじょ)かのじょの名前(なまえ)なまえを聞(きき)きくだに胸(むね)むねが痛(つう)いたむ。
Even hearing her name makes my heart ache.
positive, emotional
そんな結果(けっか)けっかは予想(よそう)よそうだにしていなかった。
I hadn’t even anticipated that kind of result.
past negative, formal
彼(かれ)かれの無礼(ぶれい)ぶれいさは口(くち)くちにするだに腹(はら)はらが立(りつ)たつ。
His rudeness infuriates me even to speak of.
positive, judgmental
夢(ゆめ)ゆめだに思(おもう)おもわなかった展開(てんかい)てんかいだ。
It was a development I wouldn’t have dreamed of even in my wildest dreams.
negative, idiomatic
After each sentence, notice the emotional charge: fear, regret, anger, shock. That charge is what makes だに unreplaceable by a neutral “even.” ## Nuance of だに The core nuance is **extreme emphasis, often bordering on the unbelievable**. With **だにしない**, the scale is zero—the action is so far from happening that the speaker cannot conceive of it. With positive **だに**, the scale is 100%—the mere act of doing X already carries the full emotional weight.
💡
Think of it this way: だに puts an action under a magnifying glass. If the action doesn’t occur, that’s catastrophic. If it does occur, that in itself is already overwhelming.
This nuance sets it apart from simpler patterns like さえ, which mark inclusion (“even X happens too”) but lack the dramatic, almost rhetorical flair of だに. ## だに vs さえ Both **だに** and **さえ** can translate to “even,” but their tone and usage differ sharply.
だに
dramatic, literary
Use when the emotional intensity is the point—shock, horror, disdain. Works mostly with mental verbs.
想像(そうぞう)だにしなかった
I couldn’t even imagine it.
さえ
neutral, everyday
Use to say “even” in the sense of “including an unlikely or minimal case.” Works with any action.
名前(なまえ)さえ覚え(おぼえ)ていない
I don’t even remember his name.
If you tried to swap **さえ** into **想像(そうぞう)だにしない**, you’d get **想像(そうぞう)さえしない**, which is grammatical but flat—it means “I don’t even imagine it,” not “the very idea is beyond my imagination.” The emotional gap is large. ## Common mistakes with だに
❌
今日(きょう)の朝ごはん(あさごはん)を食べ(たべ)だにしなかった。
✅
今日(きょう)の朝ごはん(あさごはん)を食べ(たべ)さえしなかった。
だに doesn’t fit routine, neutral-denial actions. It requires strong emotional weight. さえ is correct for “I didn’t even eat breakfast.”
❌
彼(かれ)の話(はなし)を聞く(きく)だにしないのは失礼(しつれい)だ。
✅
彼(かれ)の話(はなし)を聞き(きき)もしないのは失礼(しつれい)だ。
Using だにしない to mean “will not even listen” sounds archaic and mismatched. “Not even do X” in a mundane situation is better expressed with ～もしない.
❌
走る(はしる)だにできない。
✅
走る(はしる)ことさえできない。
だに cannot attach to a potential form or できる. It’s always dictionary form + だに (positive) or dictionary form + だにしない (negative).
## Is だに on the JLPT?
N1

Yes. だに (especially だに～ない) is a classic N1 grammar point. It appears in reading sections and occasionally in listening where an author or character expresses intense emotion.

Test questions often present a sentence with an emotional verb like 想像(そうぞう)する or 考える(かんがえる) and ask you to choose between さえ, すら, だに. The presence of an archaic or dramatic register points you toward だに. ## Practice questions for だに
1
Write a sentence using だにしない about an event so shocking you couldn’t even imagine it.
negative, high emotion
2
In a formal essay, express that just thinking about a certain topic makes you uncomfortable. Use positive だに with an adjective.
positive, formal
3
Replace さえ with だに in this sentence: 彼(かれ)の顔(かお)を見る(みる)さえ嫌(いや)だ。Does the tone change? If so, how?
comparison, register shift
## Learning path for だに
1
Memorize the formula: V(dictionary) + だに (+ しない). No exceptions. Keep a few core verbs ready: 想像(そうぞう)する, 考える(かんがえる), 思う(おもう), 口(くち)にする.
2
Compare it with さえ and すら. Write 2 sentences for each triplet—same base verb, different nuance. Notice how the emotional temperature rises with だに.
3
Read a short literary passage that uses だに (try an author like Natsume Sōseki or a modern essayist). Underline it and rewrite the sentence in plain Japanese. The gap will teach you more than any explanation.
4
Finally, use だに in a formal journal entry or essay of your own. If the sentence doesn’t feel dramatic enough, you need a stronger context.
## Related grammar to review next - [だの～だの](/blog/n1-dano-dano/) — because it also adds literary, list-like emphasis in formal or critical speech - [ぶる・ぶって・ぶった](/blog/n1-buru-butte-butta/) — because it deals with attitude-heavy, judgmental expression - [だろうに](/blog/n1-darou-ni/) — because it also conveys strong emotional stance, often in literary narrative - [ぶり・っぷり](/blog/n1-buri-ppuri/) — because it transforms a plain action into a stylized, dramatic description ## Learn だに with Hane If you want to review **だに** together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions. Browse more lessons here: - [All grammar lessons](/blog/) - [JLPT N1 grammar lessons](/blog/n1/)