“〜mo naku・〜koto naku”: Without (doing) anything at all [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

“Mayoi mo naku kotaeta” “Yasumu koto naku hashiri tsuzuketa” — doing something with zero 〜

「彼は迷うことなく、即答した」 — not a flicker of hesitation, crisp and clean

「彼は迷うことなく、「やります」と即答した」 (without hesitation, he answered at once, “I'll do it”) — 「〜もなく／〜ることなく」 expresses “without any ～, ～-lessly”: doing something with not a trace, not once, of the preceding action or situation. This is the written, emphatic version of 「〜ずに／〜ないで」. This guide covers its attachment (noun ＋ もなく, verb ＋ ことなく), feel, and separates it from the colloquial 「ずに」 (N2).

Core: without any ～, ～-lessly (written, stressing ‘not at all')

This set means “doing something with no ～ at all, not even once,” more formal and emphatic about thoroughness than the colloquial 「ずに／ないで」:

• noun ＋ もなく = without even ～: 何の連絡もなく、彼は姿を消した (without any word, he vanished).
• verb dictionary form ＋ ことなく = without ～-ing, ～-lessly: 彼女は表情ひとつ変えることなく、報告を続けた (without changing her expression, she went on reporting).

Feel: “without any ～／～-lessly” — the core stresses “not a trace/not once, crisp and clean.” Often used to depict a firm, calm, unbroken manner (unhesitating, unflinching, uninterrupted). A written, narrative, formal-report expression, common in news and novels.

Attachment (noun → もなく, verb → ことなく)

Examples in use

• 彼は一度も休むことなく、10年間働き続けた。(Without resting even once, he kept working for 10 years.)
• 何の前触れもなく、突然雨が降り出した。(Without any warning, it suddenly began to rain.)
• 彼女はためらうことなく、真実を話した。(Without hesitation, she told the truth.)
• 事故もなく、無事に旅を終えた。(Without any accident, we safely finished the trip.)
• 彼らは諦めることなく、最後まで戦った。(Without giving up, they fought to the end.)

⚠️ Easy traps to avoid

① Nouns take 「もなく」, verbs take 「ことなく」 — don't attach wrong. The basic rule. noun ＋ もなく (連絡もなく, 迷いもなく — 「迷い」 is a noun); verb dictionary form ＋ ことなく (迷うことなく, 休むことなく — 「迷う」 is a verb). Attaching 「もなく」 to a verb is wrong: ×迷うもなく → ○迷うことなく. Judge whether the preceding word is a noun or verb, then pick もなく or ことなく.

② 「もなく／ことなく」 is the written, emphatic version of 「ずに／ないで」. All three mean “without ～-ing/～-lessly,” but 「ずに／ないで」 are more colloquial (食べずに出かけた = went out without eating; see 〈ずに〉); 「もなく／ことなく」 are more formal, written, and stress ‘thoroughly, not even once' more (休むことなく働いた = worked without resting once). In daily talk use ずに／ないで; in writing, formal narration, or to stress “none at all,” use もなく／ことなく.

③ Watch the visual trap 「間もなく」 — an entirely different word. 「間もなく（まもなく）」 means “soon, shortly” (間もなく電車が参ります = the train will arrive shortly), an independent adverb unrelated to 「〜もなく (without ～)」. Don't read every 「もなく」 as “without.” 「間もなく」 = soon; 「(noun) もなく」 = without even ～. Also, 「〜ことなく」 differs from 「〜ことがない (never ～, have never ～)」 — ことなく = ～-lessly (manner), ことがない = never (experience).

🔄 Compare: ことなく／もなく／ずに・ないで／ともなく

💡 An exam judgment tip

「〜もなく／〜ることなく」 = without any ～, ～-lessly, its core stressing “not a trace/not once, crisp and clean” (迷うことなく即答 = answer at once without hesitation; 連絡もなく消えた = vanished without a word). Three points: ① attachment — nouns take 「もなく」, verb dictionary forms take 「ことなく」 (don't attach もなく to a verb); ② it's the written, emphatic version of 「ずに／ないで」 — colloquial ずに, formal narration/stressing thoroughness ことなく／もなく; ③ watch that 「間もなく (soon)」 is an entirely different word, not to be confused with 「〜もなく (without)」. It's often used to depict a firm, calm, unbroken manner (unhesitating, unflinching, uninterrupted), with a narrative, literary flavor. To express “without any ～” in writing, ことなく／もなく nails it.

❓ Common questions

Q: How do I tell 「ことなく」 from 「もなく」? When do I use which?

The simplest test: a noun in front takes 「もなく」, a verb takes 「ことなく」. 「noun ＋ もなく」 = without even ～: preceded by a noun — 何の連絡もなく (without any word), 予告もなく (without warning), 事故もなく (without accident), 迷いもなく (without hesitation — 「迷い」 is a noun). 「verb dictionary form ＋ ことなく」 = without ～-ing, ～-lessly: preceded by a verb dictionary form — 迷うことなく (without hesitating — 「迷う」 is a verb), 休むことなく (without resting), 諦めることなく (without giving up), 変えることなく (without changing). Trick: is the preceding word a noun or a verb? — noun → もなく, verb → ことなく. Note some words have cognate noun and verb forms (迷い／迷う, 休み／休む); check which form you use: the noun form (迷い) pairs with もなく, the verb dictionary form (迷う) with ことなく. So “without hesitation” can be 「迷いもなく」 (noun) or 「迷うことなく」 (verb) — both correct, just different attachment. Remember: もなく follows a noun, ことなく follows a verb dictionary form.

Q: 「ことなく」 and 「ずに／ないで」 both mean ‘without ～-ing' — what's the difference?

Register (written vs colloquial) and degree of emphasis. 「〜ずに／〜ないで」 = without doing ～, then ～ (colloquial～general, more neutral, common in daily use; see 〈ずに〉): 朝ごはんを食べずに、学校へ行った (went to school without eating breakfast — everyday, neutral); 傘を持たないで出かけた (went out without an umbrella). It's the standard everyday way to say “without ～-ing.” 「verb ＋ ことなく」 = without ～-ing (written, formal, and stressing ‘thoroughly, not even once' more): 彼は一度も休むことなく、働き続けた (he kept working without resting once — stressing “not resting at all,” written narration); 途切れることなく (without a single break). It's more formal, written, narrative, stressing “completely, thoroughly without ～,” common in news, novels, formal reports. Test: daily talk, a plain “without ～-ing” → ずに／ないで; formal writing, stressing “thoroughly, not even once” → ことなく. E.g., colloquial 「休まないで働いた」 (worked without resting), written/emphatic 「休むことなく働いた」 (worked without resting, weightier and more emphatic). Close in meaning, but ことなく is higher register and stresses thoroughness more. (ずに／ないで: see 〈ずに〉.)

🖊️ Practice Quiz

Q1. 「彼は最後まで諦める___、走り抜いた。」(ran without giving up)

(A) ことなく　(B) ものなく　(C) ばかりで　(D) どころか

Q2. 「何の連絡___、来なかった。」(without any contact)

(A) もなく　(B) ことなく　(C) しなく　(D) でなく

Q3. What does 「休むことなく働く」 mean?

(A) Work without resting

(B) Rest the whole time

(C) Work occasionally

(D) Don't work

Q4. What verb form comes before 「ことなく」?

(A) Dictionary form

(B) ない-form

(C) た-form

(D) て-form

Q5. Which connection is correct?

(A) 迷うことなく進む。　(B) 迷うもなく進む。

(C) 連絡することなく (as a noun)。　(D) 説明ことなく終わる。

Answer Key

1. (A) ことなく ── verb dict. form ＋ ことなく.

2. (A) もなく ── noun 連絡 ＋ もなく.

3. (A) ── work without resting.

4. (A) Dictionary form ── dict. form ＋ ことなく.

5. (A) ── verbs use ことなく (迷うことなく).