JLPT N1 Should, must not, and worth doing

ても差し支えない (temo sashitsukaenai): can ~; it’s okay if

Use ても差し支えない when you want to politely express that a certain action or state is acceptable and will not cause any hindrance, problem, or inconvenience. The core of the expression is 差し支えない — "it doesn't get in the way; it causes no trouble.

少々お待ちいただいても差し支えありません。 — You may wait a short while; that is no trouble at all.

てしかるべきだ (te shikaru beki da): should; appropriate; it is natural to do

Use てしかるべきだ when you want to say that an action or reaction is appropriate, deserved, or only natural given the situation. It carries a weighty, evaluative tone—much stronger than a simple “should.

彼がそんな言い方をしたのだから、皆が怒ってしかるべきだ。 — He said something that rude, so everyone should be angry—and rightly so.

べからず / べからざる (bekarazu / bekarazaru): must not; should not; do not

Use べからず / べからざる when you want to express strong prohibition or an absolute denial.

まじき (majiki): should not; must not

Use まじき when you want to say that an action is unacceptable given someone's status, profession, or moral standing. It conveys the idea that the person *should* have known better precisely because of who they are.

公務員として許すまじき不正だ。 — This is an inexcusable fraud for a public servant.

たるもの / たる (taru mono / taru): (those) who are; (that) which is; in the capacity of ... should

Use たるもの / たる when a noun (a role, title, or position) is followed by a statement of how a person in that position *should* act or *ought* to be. The pattern asserts that the quality or behavior is intrinsic to the role itself.

政治家たるもの、国民の利益を第一に考えるべきだ。 — As a politician, one should put the interests of the people first.

ものとする (mono to suru): shall; to assume; understood as

Use ものとする when you want to specify that a certain condition or understanding is to be taken as given. It imposes an interpretation or a requirement, often with the force of “it shall be deemed that” or “it is understood that.

本契約は、双方が署名した時点で発効するものとする。 — This agreement shall take effect upon signature by both parties.

を余儀なくされる (o yogi naku sareru): to be forced to do something because one has no other choice

Use を余儀なくされる when you want to say that someone or something was forced into a certain outcome, action, or state, with no alternative available. The emphasis is on the external source of the compulsion—something outside the subject's control made the result inevitable.

大雨の影響で、野外イベントは中止を余儀なくされた。 — Due to the heavy rain, the outdoor event was forced to be cancelled.

では済まない (dewa sumanai): it doesn’t end with just ~; it will take more than

Use では済まない when you want to express that a situation won’t be settled with just the stated action; something more — often far more — will be required, or the repercussions will continue.

会社の信用を失ったのだから、単なる謝罪では済まない。 — Since we lost the company’s trust, a simple apology won’t suffice.

ずには済まない / ないでは済まない (zu niwa sumanai / nai dewa sumanai): must; will definitely; can’t help but

Use ずには済まない / ないでは済まない when you want to say that an action cannot be avoided — you must do it, you will certainly have to do it, or there is no way around it.

税金は払わないでは済まない。 — Taxes must be paid.

て済むことではない (te sumu koto dewa nai): ~ is not enough to solve the problem; cannot be resolved by

Use て済むことではない when the action mentioned is completely inadequate to resolve a situation. The speaker rejects any notion that the problem can be wrapped up that easily.

謝っ済むことではない。 — Just apologizing isn’t enough to resolve this.

までもない / までもなく (made mo nai / made mo naku): there's no need to; it’s not necessary to

Use までもない (terminal form) or までもなく (continuative form) when you want to express that there is no need to perform an action because the result or information is already obvious, settled, or beyond doubt.

彼が優秀であることは言うまでもない。 — It goes without saying that he is excellent.

には及ばない (niwa oyobanai): there is no need to; unnecessary; no match for

Use には及ばない in two core ways:

心配するには及びません。どうぞ帰省されてください。 — There’s no need to worry. Please go visit your family.

には当たらない (niwa ataranai): it’s not worth; there’s no need to; does not correspond to

Use には当たらない to say that an action, state, or feeling is not justified by the situation — it is not worth doing or not serious enough to be called something. It often softens or dismisses an emotional response or a negative label.

彼の実力を考えれば、成功には当たらない。 — Given his ability, his success is nothing to be surprised about.

ほどのことではない (hodo no koto dewa nai): it's not worth; no need to

Use ほどのことではない when you want to say that a situation is not serious or important enough to justify whatever action, emotion, or reaction the listener might be considering.

ちょっと遅れたくらい、謝るほどのことではないよ。 — Being a little late — it’s not something you need to apologize for.

に値する (ni atai suru): to be worth; to be worthy of; to deserve; to merit

Use に値する when you want to express that a person, action, or thing merits a specific assessment — praise, criticism, attention, trust, or even penalty.

彼の長年の努力は称賛に値する。 — His years of effort are worthy of praise.

に足る (ni taru / ni tariru): can do; worthy; worth doing

Use に足る when you want to state that something has enough value, reason, or quality to be done, believed, or experienced.

彼は信頼するに足る人物です。 — He is a person worthy of trust.

に足らない / に足りない (ni taranai / ni tarinai): cannot; not worthy; not worth doing

Use に足らない / に足りない when you want to express that something does not reach the level needed to justify doing the verb. It’s a judgment of insufficiency — not in quantity, but in importance or worth.

彼の意見は取るに足らない。 — His opinion is not worth considering.

に耐える / に耐えない (ni taeru / ni taenai): worth doing; can do; cannot bear doing

Use に耐える when you want to say an action is bearable or worth doing — meaning it’s not so bad that you have to look away or stop. Use に耐えない when you want to say you cannot bear to do something, usually because of extremely low quality or overwhelming unpleasantness.

あの映画はひどすぎて、見るに耐えない。 — That movie is so awful, I can’t bear to watch it.

には無理がある (ni wa muri ga aru): difficult to do; is unreasonable / unrealistic / impossible

Use には無理がある when you want to say that a proposed action, expectation, or schedule is fundamentally unrealistic. The speaker is not saying “I can’t do it” — they’re saying “the plan is impossible / unreasonable.

今日中に終わらせる計画には無理がある。 — The plan to finish it by today is unrealistic.

うちに入らない (uchi ni hairanai): not really; can't be regarded as

Use うちに入らない when you want to say that something falls so short of a definition that it cannot be considered as such. The speaker is drawing a line and putting the subject well beneath it.

冬っていううちに入らないほど暖かい。 — It’s so warm this year it can’t even be called winter.