ならいざしらず (nara iza shirazu) – Meaning

Q: How do you form ならいざしらず / はいざしらず (nara iza shirazu / wa iza shirazu)?

Noun ＋ ならいざしらず Verb / い-adj (plain) ＋ （の） ＋ ならいざしらず Noun ＋ はいざしらず

ならいざしらず / はいざしらず means I don’t know about … but; it may be possible for … but ~. It is a JLPT N1 Japanese grammar pattern used to draw a sharp contrast by setting aside one case as possibly excusable or uncertain, in order to highlight that another case is definitely not, or that the speaker’s judgment is absolute.

This grammar point often appears in formal writing, editorials, debates, and JLPT N1 reading passages. If you want to strongly distinguish between two situations — one you’ll grant, the other you won’t — ならいざしらず / はいざしらず is a useful pattern to learn because it adds natural precision to your Japanese.

What does ならいざしらず / はいざしらず mean?

Use ならいざしらず / はいざしらず when you want to draw a sharp contrast by setting aside one case as possibly excusable or uncertain, in order to highlight that another case is definitely not, or that the speaker’s judgment is absolute.

Natural translations include:

I don’t know about … but; I might accept … but; it’s one thing if … but; for … it may be possible, but ~

Try to notice the writer’s or speaker’s purpose first — are they dismissing the first part to emphasize the second? — then choose the English phrase that fits that context.

How to form ならいざしらず / はいざしらず

Noun ＋ならいざしらず Verb / い-adj (plain) ＋（の）＋ならいざしらず

Noun ＋はいざしらず

Examples of the pattern:

彼(かれ)ならいざしらず
子供(こども)ならいざしらず
一度(いちど)や二度(にど)ならいざしらず
新入(しんにゅう)社員(しゃいん)はいざしらず
安(やす)いものはいざしらず

When is ならいざしらず / はいざしらず used?

Use ならいざしらず / はいざしらず in situations like:

sharply contrasting two cases to emphasize the speaker’s judgment on the second
acknowledging a hypothetical excuse only to reject it for the real situation
criticizing or showing surprise when someone or something doesn’t meet a standard

Tone and register:

often formal or written; can convey sarcasm, criticism, or strong subjective stance
Common in test questions, essays, debates, news editorials, and JLPT N1 reading

ならいざしらず / はいざしらず example sentences

彼(かれ)ならいざしらず、私(わたし)にはできない。

I don't know about him, but I can't do it.

contrast personal ability

子供(こども)ならいざしらず、大人(おとな)がそんなことをするなんて。

I might understand if it were a child, but for an adult to do such a thing… (unthinkable!).

criticism common sense

一度(いちど)や二度(にど)ならいざしらず、毎日(まいにち)こんなに遅(おそ)くまで働(はたら)くなんて。

Once in a while might be okay, but working this late every day? (That's too much.)

grumbling exaggeration

新入(しんにゅう)社員(しゃいん)はいざしらず、ベテランがそんなミスをするとは。

For a new employee I could overlook it, but a veteran making that kind of mistake? (I can't believe it.)

disappointment expectation

安(やす)いものはいざしらず、高(たか)いものを衝動買(しょうどうが)いするのはよくない。

Impulse-buying something cheap might be one thing, but impulse-buying something expensive is not good.

advice judgment

After reading each sentence, ask what job ならいざしらず / はいざしらず is doing: it sets aside a hypothetical situation to emphasize a real one.

Nuance of ならいざしらず / はいざしらず

The key nuance is sharp contrast between two cases, where the first case is granted hypothetical tolerance, while the second is definitively rejected or criticized.

For example:

The phrase “いざしらず” itself comes from “いざ知ら(しら)ず” literally meaning “I don’t know about that,” so the speaker essentially says, “I won’t comment on case A (maybe it’s excusable), but case B is definitely out of the question.”
Compared with simple なら (which just states a condition), ならいざしらず injects a strong value judgment and often an emotional charge — frustration, disappointment, or incredulity.

ならいざしらず / はいざしらず vs ならでは

Both ならいざしらず / はいざしらず and ならでは share the conditional なら, but they function very differently.

ならいざしらず / はいざしらず

contrast & setting aside

Used to set aside one case as possibly okay, then emphasize that another case is not.

子供(こども)ならいざしらず、大人(おとな)がそんなことをするなんて。

I don’t know about a child, but an adult doing that? No way.

ならでは

uniqueness & praise

Expresses that a particular advantage or charm exists precisely because of someone or something’s special qualities.

彼女(かのじょ)ならではのアイデアだ。

That’s an idea only she could come up with.

Is the speaker critical and dismissive, or complimentary and appreciative?

Common mistakes with ならいざしらず / はいざしらず

❌

彼(かれ)ならいざしらず、彼女(かのじょ)もできる。

✅

彼(かれ)ならできても、彼女(かのじょ)にはできないだろう。

Using ならいざしらず when both cases are equal or positive misses the pattern’s contrastive, dismissive core. Save it for when the second part is clearly “out of the question.”

❌

一度(いちど)ならいざしらず、毎日(まいにち)練習(れんしゅう)している。

✅

一度(いちど)ならいざしらず、毎日(まいにち)練習(れんしゅう)するのは大変(たいへん)だ。

The pattern needs a strong evaluative comment after the contrast. Simply stating a fact (“I practice every day”) weakens the rhetorical punch.

❌

安(やす)くないならいざしらず

✅

高(たか)いならいざしらず

Don’t stack negation on the first part if you can rephrase it positively. Keep the “A” side clear and simple so the contrast with “B” lands hard.

A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with ならいざしらず / はいざしらず, then rewrite it with なら.

Is ならいざしらず / はいざしらず on the JLPT?

Yes. ならいざしらず / はいざしらず is firmly a JLPT N1 grammar point.

What to expect on the test:

It appears frequently in the 文法(ぶんぽう) (grammar) section, often as a sentence-completion item.
You may see it in reading passages where a writer contrasts a superficial excuse with a deeper reality.
Questions may test your understanding of the contrastive nuance, especially whether a following statement is positive or negative.

Practice questions for ならいざしらず / はいざしらず

Use ならいざしらず in a sentence where the “A” side is a person who might be able to do something, and the “B” side is the speaker admitting their own inability.

personal contrast

Write a sentence with はいざしらず that criticizes a professional for a mistake that might be excused in a beginner.

disappointment

Compare ならいざしらず and ならでは in your own example. How does the speaker’s attitude change?

nuance check

Create a short dialogue where one character uses はいざしらず to gently scold a friend.

casual usage

Learning path for ならいざしらず / はいざしらず

To learn ならいざしらず / はいざしらず efficiently, start with its formation, then compare it with similar patterns, and finally practice in context.

First, make sure you can form both ならいざしらず and はいざしらず without looking at the pattern chart. Practice attaching them to nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

Next, compare it with ならでは. These patterns share the なら piece but lead in opposite directions — one dismisses, the other praises. Write pairs of sentences where the same “A” works with both, but the meaning flips.

Then, practice in context: write a reaction to a news headline or a social situation where you want to say “X might be understandable, but Y is not.”

Finally, write sentences where ならいざしらず / はいざしらず is necessary; then check whether replacing it with one of the related patterns below changes the meaning. If it does, you’ve internalized the nuance.

ならでは — because it shares the conditional なら but flips the nuance from contrast to uniqueness
なり — because it also expresses “as soon as” or “in one’s own way” and often appears in similar N1-level excerpts
なり～なり — because it provides alternative suggestions, another form of contrastive thinking
何しろ(なにしろ) / 何(なん)にしろ — because it sets aside details to focus on a conclusion, much like いざしらず dismisses a hypothetical

Learn ならいざしらず / はいざしらず with Hane

If you want to review ならいざしらず / はいざしらず together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

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FAQ about ならいざしらず / はいざしらず

What does ならいざしらず / はいざしらず (nara iza shirazu / wa iza shirazu) mean in Japanese?

ならいざしらず / はいざしらず (nara iza shirazu / wa iza shirazu) means “I don't know about ... but; it may be possible for ... but”. It is JLPT N1 grammar. Use ならいざしらず / はいざしらず when you want to draw a sharp contrast by setting aside one case as possibly excusable or uncertain, in order to highlight that another case is definitely not, or that the speaker's judgment is absolute.

How do you form ならいざしらず / はいざしらず (nara iza shirazu / wa iza shirazu)?

Noun ＋ならいざしらず Verb / い-adj (plain) ＋（の）＋ならいざしらず Noun ＋はいざしらず

What is the difference between ならいざしらず / はいざしらず and ならでは?

ならいざしらず / はいざしらず: contrast & setting aside. ならでは: uniqueness & praise.

What is an example sentence with ならいざしらず / はいざしらず (nara iza shirazu / wa iza shirazu)?

彼ならいざしらず、私にはできない。 — I don't know about him, but I can't do it.