“〜made mo nai・〜made mo naku”: No Need to 〜, Needless to 〜 [JLPT N2]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「説明するまでもない」「言うまでもなく」 — it's obvious, no need to specially 〜.
「わざわざ電話するまでもない、メールで十分だ」 — for this trifle, no need to go that far
「こんな小さなミス、わざわざ報告するまでもない」 (such a small slip — no need to go and report it) — 「〜までもない／までもなく」 expresses “no need to ～, needn't (go so far as to) ～”: the matter is too small or too obvious to warrant going that far. This guide covers 「までもない」's use and attachment, separating it from its relative 「言うまでもない (needless to say)」 and 「必要はない (no need)」 (N2).
Core: no need to ～, needn't ～ (no need to go to that extent)
「(verb dictionary form) ＋ までもない」 = “no need to ～, needn't ～, not worth ～-ing” — meaning “(the matter is small/obvious, so) there's no need to go so far as to”:
- この程度の傷なら、病院へ行くまでもない (a scratch this minor — no need to go to hospital).
- 結果は見るまでもなく、明らかだ (the result is obvious without even looking).
Feel: “no need to …／needn't …” — the core is “(because the matter is simple, obvious, or slight,) it's not worth / no need to go that far.” With a “not to that extent” flavor. The mid-clause form 「までもなく」 = without even ～. A formal, written expression.
Attachment rules
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb dictionary form ＋ までもない | no need to ～ | 言うまでもない （it goes without saying） |
| verb dictionary form ＋ までもなく | without even ～ | 確認するまでもなく |
| (fixed) 言うまでもない | needless to say | 言うまでもない （it goes without saying） |
Examples in context
- そんな簡単なこと、彼に聞くまでもない。(Such a simple thing — no need to ask him.)
- 見れば分かることだから、説明するまでもない。(It's clear at a glance, so no need to explain.)
- 実際に行ってみるまでもなく、結果は予想できる。(Without even actually going, the result is predictable.)
- 大した用事ではないので、わざわざ来てもらうまでもない。(It's nothing major, so no need to have you come specially.)
- 彼の実力は、改めて言うまでもない。(His ability needs no restating.)
⚠️ Easy traps to avoid
① 「までもない」 is ‘no need to (go that far),' not a plain ‘not needed.' It stresses “the matter is small/obvious enough that there's no need to go that far,” with a “not to that extent” flavor. 必要はない = not needed (plainly negating necessity) (傘は必要ない = no umbrella needed); 〜までもない = no need to (go so far as to) (傘を持っていくまでもない = no need to go and bring an umbrella [the weather isn't that bad]). までもない adds a “making a fuss, not worth it” feel. For a plain “not needed” use 必要ない; for “(this trifle) no need to go that far” use までもない.
② 「言うまでもない」 is a fixed collocation = needless to say (too obvious). までもない's commonest fixed form is 「言うまでもない」 = needless to say, self-evident (too obvious to need saying). It has a slight division of labor with general 「までもない (no need to do something)」: 言うまでもない = (too obvious) needless to say (努力が大切なのは言うまでもない); other verb ＋ までもない = no need to (do that action) (電話するまでもない = no need to call). 「言うまでもない」 is an idiomatic assertion, see 〈言うまでもない〉.
③ Attaches to the verb dictionary form — don't attach wrong. 「までもない」 attaches to the verb dictionary form (行くまでもない, 調べるまでもない, する→するまでもない). Not a noun, not the た-form. Mid-clause pickup uses 「までもなく」 (〜までもなく、〜). Note it leans written, formal; colloquial “no need to …” can also use 「〜なくてもいい」 (行かなくてもいい = don't have to go), but までもない carries more of a “not worth it, making a fuss” feel.
🔄 Compare: までもない／言うまでもない／必要はない／なくてもいい
| Form | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜までもない | no need to ～ (no need to go that far) | 聞くまでもない （there's no need even to ask） |
| 言うまでもない | needless to say (too obvious) | 言うまでもない （it goes without saying） |
| 〜必要はない | no need to ～ (plainly negating necessity) | 行く必要はない （there's no need to go） |
| 〜なくてもいい | don't have to ～ (permitted not to) | 行かなくてもいい |
💡 The key point in use
「〜までもない／までもなく」 = no need to ～, needn't ～, its core “(the matter is small/obvious, so) there's no need to go so far as to” (報告するまでもない = no need to report; 見るまでもなく明らか = clear without even looking). Three points: ① it carries a ‘not worth it, making a fuss' feel — more than the plain 「必要はない (not needed)」, adding “not to that extent”; ② 「言うまでもない」 is a fixed collocation = needless to say (too obvious), までもない's commonest form (see 〈言うまでもない〉); ③ attaches to the verb dictionary form, mid-clause pickup uses 「までもなく」, leans written. To express “(this trifle/this obvious) no need to go so far,” までもない is the most fitting.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: 「までもない」 and 「必要はない」 both mean ‘not needed' — how do I tell them apart?
「までもない」 carries a ‘not worth it, making a fuss' feel, 「必要はない」 just plainly negates necessity. 「〜必要はない」 = no need to ～ (objectively, plainly negating ‘there is a need,' neutral): 明日は休みだから、早く起きる必要はない (tomorrow's a holiday, so no need to get up early — plainly “no need to get up early”). It just states “there's no necessity,” neutral. 「〜までもない」 = no need to ～ (stressing ‘the matter is small/obvious enough that there's no need to go that far,' with a ‘this trifle, not worth going out of the way' feel): こんな近所に行くのに、車を出すまでもない (to go somewhere this close — no need to take the car — stressing “this close, not worth taking the car”); 見れば分かるから、説明するまでもない (it's clear at a glance, so no need to explain — stressing “this obvious, no need to explain specially”). It adds a “making a fuss, not to that extent” feel, often implying “the matter is simple/obvious.” Test: a plain “not needed” → 必要はない; “(this trifle/this obvious) no need to go that far” → までもない. So までもない is often used where “the matter is too small/obvious, going out of the way would be excessive,” with a “not worth it” feel; 必要はない neutrally negates necessity.
Q: Are 「までもない」 and 「言うまでもない」 the same?
「言うまでもない」 is a fixed, common collocation of 「までもない」, but with a slight division of labor. 「〜までもない」 = no need to (do an action) (various verb dictionary forms can precede, meaning ‘no need to specially do the ～ action'): 電話するまでもない (no need to call); 確認するまでもない (no need to confirm); 病院へ行くまでもない (no need to go to hospital). It's the general ‘no need to do something,' with a variable preceding verb. 「言うまでもない」 = needless to say, self-evident (a fixed collocation, specifically ‘(too obvious to) need saying,' often a sentence-final assertion, or ‘〜は言うまでもなく、〜も' for escalation): 努力が大切なのは言うまでもない (that effort matters goes without saying); 健康の大切さは言うまでもない. It's an idiomatic assertion, specifically “(too obvious to) need saying,” with the escalation use 「〜は言うまでもなく、〜も」 (not to mention ～, even ～). Relation: 「言うまでもない」 is 「言う＋までもない」, i.e., 「までもない」 applied to 「言う (say)」 as a fixed idiom — because “saying” is the thing most often “no need to (as it's too obvious),” it settled into “needless to say.” Test: to say “no need to (do an action)” use 「(verb) ＋ までもない」; to say “(too obvious) needless to say” use the fixed 「言うまでもない」. The latter: see 〈言うまでもない〉.
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 「こんな常識、わざわざ教える___。」(no need to go out of one's way to teach)
(A) までもない (B) ほかない (C) しかない (D) よりない
Q2. 「___までもなく、努力は成功への近道だ。」(it goes without saying)
(A) 言う (B) 言った (C) 言って (D) 言い
Q3. What is the core meaning of 「までもない」?
(A) must do 〜
(B) too obvious / too minor — no need to bother doing it
(C) want to do 〜
(D) must not do
Q4. What does 「今さら騒ぐまでもない」 mean?
(A) now's the time to make a fuss
(B) at this point, no need to make a fuss anymore
(C) must act immediately
(D) never needed to worry
Q5. Which correctly states the difference between 「までもない」 and 「ことはない」?
(A) までもない = obviously ‘no need' (self-evident); ことはない = ‘no need,' with consolation/advice
(B) exactly the same
(C) までもない only in negatives
(D) ことはない is for the past
Answer Key
1. (A) までもない ── such common sense is too obvious — no need to teach it.
2. (A) 言う ── attaches to the verb dict. form: 言うまでもなく.
3. (B) ── までもない = too obvious — no need to bother doing it.
4. (B) ── 今さら騒ぐまでもない = at this point, no need to make a fuss anymore.
5. (A) ── までもない = obviously ‘no need' (self-evident); ことはない = ‘no need,' with consolation/advice.