Lesson 177: んばかりに・んがため・あっての

N1 · Lesson 177 · 18 min — An exaggerated look, a firm purpose, an essential foundation: Rin's first day of new-hire training!

Last lesson, Rin graduated from his tourism college. In April he starts at a travel agency. This lesson teaches three N1 written-style patterns: んばかりに (as if about to ...), んがため (in order to ...), and あっての (N2 exists only thanks to N1). Two of them use an old-fashioned ん form. It comes from an old Japanese word, む, which expressed intention or supposition. It is not a negative, even though it sounds like one! It attaches just like the ない form. Let's read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use Vない→ん + ばかりに to say "as if about to ...": 泣なかんばかりに 喜よろこんで いる
• Use 「〜」とばかりに to say "as if saying ...": 「まだか」とばかりに 時計とけいを 見みる
• Use Vない→ん + がため(に) to say "in order to ..." with strong determination: 約束やくそくを 果はたさんが ため
• Use N1あっての N2 to say "N2 exists only because of N1": お客様きゃくさまあっての 旅行社りょこうしゃだ

Day One of Training

Rin graduated from college! Before he starts work in April, he joins the new-hire training at the たぬき旅行社りょこうしゃ travel agency. (研修けんしゅう = training for new employees)

Vない→ん + ばかりに = as if about to ...; + がため = in order to ...; N1あっての N2 = no N2 without N1. Next lesson: a fence appears by the tree!

Words for this lesson

• 〜んばかりに (n bakari ni): as if about to ...
• 〜とばかりに (to bakari ni): as if saying "..."
• 〜んが ため（に） (n ga tame): in order to ... (strong purpose)
• 〜あっての (atte no): (that exists) only thanks to ~
• 旅行社りょこうしゃ (ryokōsha): travel agency
• 研修けんしゅう (kenshū): training (for new employees)
• 部長ぶちょう (buchō): department manager
• お客様きゃくさま (okyakusama): customer (polite)
• 約束やくそく (yakusoku): promise
• 果はたす (hatasu): to fulfill, to carry out (a promise, a duty)
• かなえる (kanaeru): to make come true (a dream, a wish)
• 企画書きかくしょ (kikakusho): proposal, project plan
• 合格ごうかく (gōkaku): pass (an exam or a review)
• 喜よろこぶ (yorokobu): to be glad, to be happy
• 泣なく (naku): to cry
• 驚おどろく (odoroku): to be surprised, to be startled
• 歓迎会かんげいかい (kangeikai): welcome party
• 今夜こんや (kon'ya): tonight
• あふれる (afureru): to overflow, to be full of
• 飛とび上あがる (tobiagaru): to jump up
• 空から (kara): empty (空からの どんぶり = an empty bowl)
• 健康けんこう (kenkō): health
• 協力きょうりょく (kyōryoku): help, cooperation
• 努力どりょく (doryoku): effort
• 祖父そふ (sofu): (my own) grandfather
• 一人前いちにんまえ (ichininmae): fully capable, independent

Grammar 1 / 3: んばかりに

Change the ない of the Vない form to ん, then add ばかりに = "as if about to ...". It describes an exaggerated look: "so close to doing it" (but he doesn't really do it). 泣なかんばかりに 喜よろこんで いる = so happy he is almost crying.

• Form: change ない of the Vない form to ん: 泣なかない→泣なかん, 言いわない→言いわん, 飛とび上あがらない→飛とび上あがらん. する and くる are special: する→せん, くる→こん. Then add ばかりに.
• Meaning: as if about to ...: It exaggerates how strong something is: so close to crying, to jumping up, to overflowing. Usually it does not really happen.
• Two ways to connect: ばかりに + action (泣なかんばかりに 喜よろこぶ), ばかりの + noun (あふれんばかりの 笑顔えがお). (You can also end a sentence with 〜んばかりだ.)
• 「〜」とばかりに: as if saying ...: Put in 「」 words the other person did not say, but whose attitude makes them clear: 「まだか」とばかりに 時計とけいを 見みる. You can also say 「〜」と 言いわんばかりに. It is mostly used to describe other people.

• 部長ぶちょうは 泣なかんばかりに 喜よろこんで いる。 — The manager was so happy he was almost crying.
• 熊太くまたは 飛とび上あがらんばかりに 驚おどろいた。 — Kumata was so startled he almost jumped up.
• リンは あふれんばかりの 笑顔えがおで、企画書きかくしょを 出だした。 — Rin handed in his proposal with a smile that was almost overflowing.
• 部長ぶちょうは「まだか」とばかりに 時計とけいを 見みた。 — The manager looked at the clock as if saying "Isn't it ready yet?"
• ねこ先生せんせいは「早はやく」と 言いわんばかりの 顔かおで 待まって いる。 — Neko-sensei was waiting with a look that said "Hurry up!"

Grammar 2 / 3: んがため

Change the ない of the Vない form to ん, then add がため(に) = "in order to ..." (at all costs). It is stronger and more formal than ために, like a declaration of firm resolve. 約束やくそくを 果はたさんが ため = in order to keep a promise.

• Form: Vない→ん + がため(に): 果はたさない→果はたさんが ため, 守まもらない→守まもらんが ため. する→せんが ため, くる→こんが ため. You can drop the に after it.
• Meaning: in order to ... (at all costs): It shows a very strong purpose, often with the feeling "I'll do anything for this."
• Only for big goals: Use it for big things: a promise, a dream, survival, victory. For small things like buying bread or taking a train, plain ために is enough. Using んが ため would sound exaggerated (fine only as a joke).
• Written style, speeches, declarations: It is rarely used in everyday chat. Before a noun, use がための: 勝かたんが ための 練習れんしゅう.

• 約束やくそくを 果はたさんが ため、日本にほんへ 来きた。 — I came to Japan in order to keep my promise.
• 合格ごうかくせんが ために、毎晩まいばん 遅おそくまで 勉強べんきょうした。 — To pass the exam, I studied late every night.
• 一人前いちにんまえに ならんが ため、リンは 研修けんしゅうを がんばって いる。 — To become fully capable, Rin worked desperately hard during training.
• これは 夢ゆめを かなえんが ための 努力どりょくだ。 — This is effort made to make a dream come true.
• 木きを 守まもらんが ため、町まちの 人ひとが 集あつまった。 — The townspeople gathered to protect the tree.

Grammar 3 / 3: あっての

N1 + あっての + N2 = "N2 exists only thanks to N1". N1 is the essential foundation. Without it, there is no N2. お客様きゃくさまあっての 旅行社りょこうしゃだ = No customers, no travel agency.

• Form: N1あっての N2: The basic form attaches あっての directly to a noun, with no particle: お客様きゃくさまあっての 旅行社りょこうしゃ. (In writing and speech you may also hear 「〜が あっての こと」, with the same meaning.) Don't drop the の of あっての, and don't say あるの.
• Meaning: N2 exists only thanks to N1: N1 is an essential condition for N2. The hidden message: without N1, there is no N2.
• The order cannot be reversed: Put the "foundation" first and "the thing that depends on it" second. If you say 旅行社りょこうしゃあっての お客様きゃくさま, the meaning becomes very strange.
• 〜あっての ことだ: "Being able to do ... is all thanks to ...": 今日きょうの 成功せいこうは、みんなの 協力きょうりょくあっての ことです。 It is often used to say thanks, or to remind people of the foundation.

• お客様きゃくさまあっての 旅行社りょこうしゃだ。 — No customers, no travel agency.
• 健康けんこうあっての 仕事しごとだから、無理むりを しないで。 — You can work only if you're healthy, so don't push yourself.
• 今日きょうの 成功せいこうは、みんなの 協力きょうりょくあっての ことです。 — Today's success is all thanks to everyone's help.
• 町まちの 人ひとあっての 祭まつりだ。 — This festival exists only because of the townspeople.
• 先生せんせいあっての 今いまの わたしです。 — I am who I am today only thanks to my teacher.