JLPT N1 Listing examples and alternatives
だの～だの, やれ～やれ, and わ～わで list examples, usually with a tone of complaint, while なり～なり offers options. といい～といい and といわず～といわず mean "both A and B" to cover everything, and か否か is a formal "whether or not". Using だの～だの for neutral lists sounds grumbling, which is the typical mistake.
14 N1 grammar points in this group
に (ni): and; in addition to; the combination of
Use に when you want to show that one noun is added to another, creating a combination that intensifies or underscores a quality. It’s not just neutral listing; the two items together produce a heightened image or meaning.
鬼に金棒 — An ogre with an iron club; making a strong person even stronger.
もしくは (moshikuwa): or; otherwise
Use もしくは when you want to present two or more alternatives, usually in a context where selecting one excludes the others, or where the second option serves as an alternative if the first cannot be used.
申込書は黒のボールペンもしくは万年筆で記入してください。 — Please complete the application form with a black ballpoint pen or a fountain pen.
か否か (ka ina ka): whether or not
Use か否か when you need to embed a yes/no question in a formal, concise manner.
来年の経済成長が続くか否か、専門家の間でも意見が分かれている。 — Experts are divided on whether or not economic growth will continue next year.
かれ～かれ (kare ~ kare): sooner or later; more or less
Use かれ～かれ when you want to say that no matter which extreme of a pair turns out to be true, the core statement holds. The pattern freezes two opposite adjectives into their classical imperative forms, creating an emphatic “whether X or Y” nuance.
遅かれ早かれ、真実は明らかになる。 — Sooner or later, the truth will come to light.
でもあり～でもある (demo ari ~ demo aru): to also be; both… and
Use でもあり～でもある when you want to say that something is not just one thing but also another. It pairs two nouns (or な‑adjective stems) and treats them as equally true descriptions of the same subject.
彼は医者でもあり、研究者でもある。 — He is both a doctor and a researcher.
だの～だの (dano ~ dano): and; and the like; and so forth
Use だの～だの when you want to list several things in a way that implies "and such", "and the like", or "and so forth", often with a negative or dismissive slant.
彼はゲームだの漫画だのに夢中で、勉強しない。 — He just gets into games and manga and stuff and never studies.
なり～なり (nari ~ nari): [A] or [B] or something; for instance
Use なり～なり when you want to list two (or more) examples as possibilities, often with the nuance of “or something like that”. It doesn’t close the set; it invites the listener to think of other, similar alternatives.
わからないことがあれば、先生なり先輩なりに聞いてください。 — If there’s something you don’t understand, ask a teacher, a senior student, or someone like that.
やれ～やれ (yare ~ yare): pattern to give two representative examples (usually negative)
Use やれ～やれ when you want to present two (or more) representative examples of something negative—typically complaints, problems, or annoying demands—and then tie them together with a negative evaluation.
仕事だ、家事だと、毎日忙しい。 — With work, then housework, I’m busy every day.
わ〜わで (wa ~ wade): and (listing negative things happening at the same time)
Use わ〜わで when you want to express that two (or more) negative things are happening at the same time, usually as a complaint or an observation of chaos.
電車は遅れるわ、財布は落とすわで、最悪の一日だった。 — With the train being late and my wallet getting lost, it was the worst day.
といい～といい (to ii ~ to ii): both ... and; not only ... also; whether it be ... or
Use といい～といい when you present two prominent aspects of a person, place, object, or situation, and then comment that both are notably good, bad, or characteristic.
あのレストランの料理といいサービスといい、申し分なかった。 — Both the food and the service at that restaurant were flawless.
といわず～といわず (to iwazu ~ to iwazu): both; not only A or B, but (overall)
Use といわず～といわず when you want to express that a situation, condition, or action is pervasive — it doesn’t stop at the two listed items, but extends to everything around them. Think of picking two representative parts of a whole to say “everywhere” or “all the time.
手といわず足といわず泥だらけになった。 — Both my hands and feet — actually, my whole body — ended up covered in mud.
というか～というか (to iu ka ~ to iu ka): or rather; or perhaps I should say; I mean
Use というか～というか when you want to present two overlapping, sometimes contrasting descriptions of the same thing, to show that you’re groping for the right expression. The speaker isn’t committing fully to either; instead they’re painting a picture with two strokes.
彼の態度は、冷たいというか、無関心というか、微妙だ。 — His attitude is cold, or rather indifferent — hard to pin down.
つ～つ (tsu ~ tsu): and ~ (indicates two contrasting actions)
Use つ～つ when you want to highlight two actions that oppose each other and occur alternately, creating a sense of back‑and‑forth, a tug‑of‑war, or an indecisive seesaw.
行きつ戻りつ、結局決められなかった。 — I went back and forth and couldn’t decide in the end.
が/も～なら、～も～だ (ga/mo ~ nara, ~ mo ~ da): like father, like son; both are equally bad
Use が/も～なら、～も～だ when you want to say that two people, groups, or things are equally bad, hypocritical, or disappointing. It’s the grammar behind the English “like father, like son” or “just as one is terrible, so is the other.
親も親なら、子も子だ。 — Like father, like son. (Both are equally bad.)
More JLPT N1 grammar groups
- Conditionals, warnings, and depending on (14)
- Although, despite, and against expectation (18)
- Regardless, whether, and no matter what (14)
- Cause, reason, and pretext (14)
- Purpose, intention, and doing two things (15)
- Time: as soon as, turning points, since (23)
- Should, must not, and worth doing (20)
- Strong feelings, extremes, and endings (23)
- Conjecture, likelihood, and judgment (21)
- Cannot, without, and bad outcomes (18)
- Emphasis, limits, and comparison (27)
- Formal relational phrases (13)
- Appearance, tendency, and suffixes (20)