# ことなしに: without doing something > Learn how to use ことなしに, a JLPT N1 Japanese grammar point meaning without doing something, with structure, nuance, examples, mistakes, and comparisons. JLPT level: N1 · Updated: 2026-05-18 · Canonical: https://hane-app.com/blog/n1-koto-nashi-ni/ **ことなしに** means **without doing something**. It is a **JLPT N1** Japanese grammar pattern used to express that if you don't do A, B is impossible or will not happen. This grammar point appears in formal writing, speeches, essays, and JLPT N1 reading passages. If you want to emphasize that an action is absolutely necessary to achieve a result, **ことなしに** is a powerful pattern to learn.

Without effort, success is impossible. That’s the core of ことなしに.

## What does ことなしに mean? Use **ことなしに** when you want to say that **without doing A, B cannot happen** or **it is impossible to B unless A is done**. The pattern strongly implies a necessary condition. Natural translations include: - without doing something - unless one does something The best translation depends on the sentence. The nuance is always that skipping A prevents B entirely. ## How to form ことなしに

Verb (dictionary form) + ことなしに → ことなしに（は）～ない

Noun + の + ことなしに

Examples of the pattern: - 努力どりょくすることなしに - 許可きょかをもらうことなしに - 準備じゅんびのことなしに The form before the grammar point matters. You cannot attach **ことなしに** directly to a noun without the の linker. In JLPT questions, wrong answer choices often skip that の. ## When is ことなしに used? Use **ことなしに** in situations like: - emphasizing that an action is a prerequisite for a result - stating objective, often universal truths or rules - formal writing, editorials, serious explanations Tone and register: - formal, slightly stiff. It is rare in casual conversation. - Common in test questions, newspaper opinion pieces, academic prose, and JLPT N1 reading. ## ことなしに example sentences

努力どりょくすることなしに成功せいこうはありえない。

Success is impossible without effort.

N1 formal

彼かれの協力きょうりょくのことなしに、このプロジェクトは成功せいこうしなかっただろう。

Without his cooperation, this project wouldn't have succeeded.

N1 noun

許可きょかをもらうことなしにここに入はいってはいけません。

You must not enter here without getting permission.

N1 rule

実際じっさいに見みることなしに判断はんだんしてはいけない。

Don’t judge without seeing it for yourself.

N1 advice

準備じゅんびのことなしに試験しけんに合格ごうかくするのは難むずかしい。

It’s hard to pass the exam without preparation.

N1 noun

親おやの援助えんじょのことなしに留学りゅうがくは不可能ふかのうだ。

Studying abroad is impossible without parental support.

N1 statement

After reading each sentence, ask what job **ことなしに** is doing: removing the action makes the result impossible. That makes the nuance stick better than a one-word translation. ## Nuance of ことなしに The key nuance is **an action is an absolute prerequisite; without it, the result cannot exist**. The pattern is almost always paired with a negative potential form (～できない, ～ありえない, ～難しい(むずかしい)). It never appears with an affirmative outcome. This matters because learners sometimes try to use **ことなしに** just to mean “without doing X” and then add a normal, positive result — but that misses the built-in “impossible otherwise” vibe. The grammar encodes a judgment of necessity, not just a sequence. For example: - It carries a formal, authoritative tone — perfect for rules, principles, and general truths. - Compared with casual “なしで” or “しないで”, **ことなしに** feels like a written, emphatic rule. ## ことなしに vs ずに Both patterns mean “without doing,” but the nuance and required sentence structure differ sharply.

ことなしに

without doing A, B is impossible

Formal, written; must be followed by a negative potential (～ない, ～できない, ～難しい(むずかしい), etc.)

努力どりょくすることなしに成功せいこうはありえない。

You cannot succeed without effort.

ずに

without doing A, (then) B

Conversational, neutral; can be followed by any form, positive or negative

朝あさご飯はんを食たべずに学校がっこうに行いった。

I went to school without eating breakfast.

If you can replace “without doing A” with “unless A is done, B won’t happen,” then **ことなしに** is the right choice. If you’re simply narrating an action someone skipped, **ずに** fits better. ## Common mistakes with ことなしに

❌

努力どりょくすることなしに成功せいこうした。

✅

努力どりょくすることなしに成功せいこうできなかった。

The pattern demands a negative or impossible result. Affirmative endings sound unnatural.

❌

親おやのことなしに留学りゅうがくは不可能ふかのうだ。

✅

親おや**の**ことなしに留学りゅうがくは不可能ふかのうだ。

When attaching a noun, you need the の linker. Without it, the construction feels broken.

❌

高たかいことなしに買かえない。

✅

高たかくなければ買かえない。

You cannot attach ことなしに to an i-adjective. Use a conditional form (～ば, ～なければ) instead.

## Is ことなしに on the JLPT?

JLPT level: N1

Frequency on the test: moderate. Appears in reading comprehension and grammar section questions.

What to expect: You need to recognize the pattern in context, understand it expresses necessity of an action for a result. Multiple-choice questions may ask for particle insertion (ことなしに), or ask you to select a sentence that uses it correctly.

✓ Recognize in reading

✓ Understand the negative implication

✓ Use in formal Japanese

## Practice questions for ことなしに

Write a sentence using ことなしに to express that you cannot learn a language without speaking practice.

Use ことなしに with a noun (e.g., 経験(けいけん), 努力(どりょく), 許可(きょか)) and attach it correctly with の.

noun form

Explain the difference between ずに and ことなしに. Create one example for each that highlights the contrast.

comparison

Look at a Japanese editorial or formal article and underline every occurrence of ことなしに. Paraphrase the sentence using 〜なければ to check you understood the necessity.

reading

## Learning path for ことなしに

Memorize the formation: verb (dictionary form) + ことなしに (+ negative potential), or noun + のことなしに. Write the pattern from memory three times.

Write five sentences using ことなしに with different verbs. End every sentence with ～できない, ～ありえない, or ～難しい(むずかしい).

Take a passage from an N1 reading drill and change any conditional (～なければ) into ことなしに if the meaning allows. Confirm the nuance shifts to a more formal, rule-like tone.

Compare ことなしに with ずに, ないで, and ことなく. Write a short paragraph where you choose the most appropriate pattern in each slot and explain why.

Use the pattern in a short opinion paragraph about a real-world topic (e.g., “without international cooperation, climate change cannot be solved”). Check your attachment and negative ending carefully.

## Related grammar to review next - [ことごとく](/blog/n1-koto-gotoku/) — another N1 こと-pattern, conveying “each and every” with a formal tone - [ことこの上(うえ)ない・この上(うえ)なく](/blog/n1-koto-kono-ue-nai-kono-ue-nai-kono-ue-naku/) — builds on the こと-structure for extreme emphasis (“nothing more … than”) - [こともあって](/blog/n1-koto-mo-atte/) — uses こと to add a causal nuance, similar to “partly because” - [ことのないように](/blog/n1-koto-no-nai-you-ni/) — the negative こと-pattern for “so as not to,” sharing the idea of prevention ## Learn ことなしに with Hane If you want to review **ことなしに** 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/)