JLPT N2 reference · Complex syntax
ことなく
It means completing or continuing the main event without performing the first action.
Core meaning and form
Attach ことなく to a dictionary-form verb. The construction is written and formal; conversational Japanese often uses ないで.
- Form: Attach ことなく to a dictionary-form verb.
- Core use: It means completing or continuing the main event without performing the first action.
- Context: The construction is written and formal; conversational Japanese often uses ないで.
Examples in context
彼は一度も休むことなく働いた。Kare wa ichido mo yasumu koto naku hataraita.He worked without taking a single break.
諦めることなく挑戦を続けた。Akirameru koto naku chōsen o tsuzuketa.She continued the challenge without giving up.
誰にも気づかれることなく部屋を出た。Dare ni mo kizukareru koto naku heya o deta.He left the room without being noticed.
Common errors
- Do not select this pattern from an English translation alone; check its attachment and discourse function.
- Keep the surrounding sentence in a consistent plain, polite, spoken, or written register.
Quick summary
- Attach ことなく to a dictionary-form verb.
- It means completing or continuing the main event without performing the first action.
- The construction is written and formal; conversational Japanese often uses ないで.