Lesson 183: ようでは・ないまでも・にひきかえ

N1 · Lesson 183 · 18 min — Under a tree behind a fence, grandfather and grandson open their hearts: scolding oneself, a wish scaled back, and a contrast with the past.

Last lesson, Grandpa met Mr. Kuma at くまや and tasted a flavor he will never forget. In this lesson, Rin takes Grandpa to the tree they promised to visit. You will learn three N1 patterns: ようでは (if you ~, that won't do), ないまでも (not quite ~, but at least ~), and にひきかえ (in contrast to ~). Read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use ようでは to scold or warn: "If you do that, it won't do." こんな ことで 泣ないて いる ようでは、だめだ
• Use ないまでも to step back: "Not quite ~, but at least ~." 満開まんかいとは 言いわないまでも、花はなが たくさん 咲さいて いる
• Use にひきかえ to say "in complete contrast to ~": 若わかい ころの わしに ひきかえ、お前まえは 強つよい
• Tell the three patterns apart by their second half: a negative judgment, a lower demand, or an opposite situation.

Under the Tree

After Grandpa meets Mr. Kuma, Rin takes him to the tree behind the fence. (満開まんかい = full bloom, 失格しっかく = failing / disqualified, わし = an older man's word for "I")

ようでは = if you ~, that won't do; ないまでも = not quite ~, but at least ~; にひきかえ = in contrast to ~. Next lesson: spring is in the air, and Rin takes Grandpa to Asakusa!

Words for this lesson: Heart-to-heart under the tree

• 〜ようでは (yō de wa): if (you actually) ~, that won't do (scolding, warning)
• 〜ないまでも (nai made mo): not quite ~, but at least ~
• 〜に ひきかえ (ni hikikae): in contrast to ~, compared with ~ (the complete opposite)
• せめて (semete): at least (with hope)
• 少すくなくとも (sukunakutomo): at least, at the very least
• 週しゅうに 一度いちど (shū ni ichido): once a week
• 満開まんかい (mankai): (flowers) in full bloom
• 柵さく (saku): fence
• 失格しっかく (shikkaku): disqualified, unfit (ガイド失格しっかく = unfit to be a guide)
• わし (washi): I (an older man's word for himself)
• お前まえ (omae): you (used by an elder to a younger person, or with a very close friend)
• 若わかい ころ (wakai koro): when one was young
• 丸まるい (marui): round, plump
• 涙なみだ (namida): tears
• 遅刻ちこくする (chikoku suru): being late
• 信用しんよう (shin'yō): trust, credibility
• 応援おうえん (ōen): cheering, support
• 弱気よわきな (yowaki na): timid, lacking confidence
• まじめな (majime na): serious, earnest
• ミス (misu): mistake, error
• 任まかせる (makaseru): to leave to someone, to entrust (任まかせられない = can't leave it to)
• まだまだ (madamada): still far from good (まだまだだ = not good enough yet)
• 優勝ゆうしょう (yūshō): championship, first place
• 三位さんい (san'i): third place

Grammar 1 / 3: ようでは

Plain form + ようでは = if (you actually) ~, that won't do: first name a situation you can't accept, then give a negative judgment. こんな ことで 泣ないて いる ようでは、ガイド失格しっかくだ = If you cry over something like this, you fail as a guide.

• Form: plain form + ようでは: Verbs in dictionary form, ない-form, and ている form all work: 遅刻ちこくする ようでは／守まもれない ようでは／泣ないて いる ようでは. な-adjectives add な: 弱気よわきな ようでは.
• Meaning: if (you actually) ~, that won't do: First name a situation that isn't good, then say "if it goes on like this, the result will be bad." It is used to scold, warn, or remind, and also to scold yourself.
• Second half: always a negative judgment: Common endings: だめだ／困こまる／無理むりだ／〜できない／〜されない／まだまだだ. If a good result follows, the sentence makes no sense.
• Not the same as ようでは ないか from before: In Lesson 164, "V volitional + ではないか" is a call to action, "Let's ~!": がんばろうでは ないか. In this lesson, ようでは follows the plain form and is followed by a negative judgment. The meaning is completely different.

• こんな ことで 泣ないて いる ようでは、ガイド失格しっかくだ。 — If you cry over something this small, you fail as a guide.
• 毎朝まいあさ 遅刻ちこくする ようでは、信用しんようされないよ。 — If you are late every morning, people won't trust you, you know.
• 約束やくそくを 守まもれない ようでは、ガイドは できない。 — If you can't even keep a promise, you can't be a guide.
• そんな 弱気よわきな ようでは、試合しあいに 勝かてないよ。 — If you have so little confidence, you won't win the match.
• こんな 簡単かんたんな ミスを する ようでは、仕事しごとは 任まかせられない。 — If you make even a mistake this simple, I can't leave the work to you.

Grammar 2 / 3: ないまでも

V ない-form + までも = not quite ~ (a higher level), but at least ~: first step back, then name a lower demand or level on the same scale. 満開まんかいとは 言いわないまでも、花はなが たくさん 咲さいて いる = It's not quite full bloom, but plenty of flowers are out.

• Form: V ない-form + までも: Attach directly to a verb's ない-form: 言いわないまでも／手伝てつだわないまでも／来こないまでも. The most common one is "〜とは 言いわないまでも" (I wouldn't go as far as to say ~). "〜とは 言いえないまでも" (I can't quite call it ~) is also common. Rin's line in comic panel 3 is like this, with almost the same meaning.
• Meaning: not quite ~, but at least ~: The first half is the ideal, high-level thing. The second half is a step back on the same scale, to a lower level. The main point of the sentence is the second half.
• The second half often adds せめて／少すくなくとも／〜は: せめて = at least (with hope), 少すくなくとも = at the very least. After them, you often find a hope, request, or decision: 〜て ほしい, 〜て ください, 〜しよう. Or it can be a fact: "at least this much is true."
• High first, low second. Never the other way around.: 全部ぜんぶ→半分はんぶん, 毎日まいにち→週しゅうに 一度いちど: you always step back from high to low, and both halves must sit on the same scale. If the second half asks for more than the first, the sentence makes no sense.

• 満開まんかいとは 言いわないまでも、花はなが たくさん 咲さいて いる。 — It's not quite full bloom, but plenty of flowers are out.
• 毎日まいにちとは 言いわないまでも、週しゅうに 一度いちどは 電話でんわして ね。 — You don't have to call every day, but please call at least once a week.
• 手伝てつだいに 来こないまでも、せめて 連絡れんらくは して ほしい。 — Even if you don't come to help, I'd like you to at least get in touch.
• 優勝ゆうしょうとは 言いわないまでも、少すくなくとも 三位さんいには 入はいりたい。 — I won't say I'll win, but I want to be in the top three at least.
• 全部ぜんぶとは 言いわないまでも、大事だいじな 単語たんごだけは 覚おぼえよう。 — You don't have to learn all of them. Let's at least memorize the important words.

Grammar 3 / 3: にひきかえ

N + に ひきかえ (verb/adjective + の + に ひきかえ) = in complete contrast to ~, compared with ~: put two opposite things side by side, with the speaker's feelings (praise, wonder, complaint). 若わかい ころの わしに ひきかえ、お前まえは 強つよい。

• Form: N + に ひきかえ／plain form + の + に ひきかえ: Nouns attach directly: 寒さむかった 去年きょねんに ひきかえ. For verbs and adjectives, add の first to make a noun: 遊あそぶのに ひきかえ／寒さむいのに ひきかえ. The first side works best with a clear feature (cold, rainy, when young), so the "opposite" is easy to see.
• Meaning: in contrast to ~, compared with ~: Put two things that point in opposite directions side by side: one good, one bad, or one past, one present. Compare things of the same kind (person with person, year with year). The second half often uses は to bring up the other side of the contrast.
• Feeling: the speaker's emotions: It often carries praise, wonder, or complaint: 去年きょねんの わたしに ひきかえ、今年ことしの わたしは 丸まるい！ (the teacher's comment). So it is not often used for cold comparisons of data.
• Compare with に比くらべて, which you already know: に比くらべて is a plain comparison and can just compare degree (東京とうきょうは 大阪おおさかに 比くらべて 人ひとが 多おおい). にひきかえ stresses "complete opposites" and carries feeling. To compare numbers or sizes, に比くらべて sounds more natural.

• 若わかい ころの わしに ひきかえ、お前まえは 強つよい。 — Unlike me when I was young, you are strong.
• 雨あめだった 昨日きのうに ひきかえ、今日きょうは いい 天気てんきだ。 — In contrast to rainy yesterday, today's weather is really nice.
• 静しずかな 兄あにに ひきかえ、弟おとうとは よく 話はなす。 — Unlike his quiet older brother, the younger brother talks a lot.
• わたしが 遊あそんで ばかり いるのに ひきかえ、くまたくんは よく 働はたらく。 — I'm always playing, but Kumata works so seriously.
• 花はなが 遅おそかった 去年きょねんに ひきかえ、今年ことしは 早はやく 咲さきそうだ。 — Unlike last year, when the flowers bloomed late, it looks like they will bloom very early this year.