Grammar
JLPT grammar patterns with formation, examples, and confusables.
〜よりほかない / 〜よりしかたがない
Nothing for it but 〜よりほかない
"There is nothing for it but to ~".
〜てたまらない
Unbearably 〜てたまらない
"Unbearably ~", "~ beyond endurance".
〜てならない
Cannot help feeling 〜てならない
"I cannot help feeling ~", "~ deeply".
〜てしかたがない / 〜てしょうがない
Terribly 〜てしかたがない / 〜てしょうがない
"Terribly ~", "I cannot help ~" — the everyday version.
〜ずにはいられない
Cannot help but 〜ずにはいられない
"Cannot help but ~", "cannot stop oneself from ~".
〜かねない
Might well 〜かねない
"Might well ~", "could easily end up ~" — of a feared outcome.
〜かねる
Unable to 〜かねる
"Cannot ~", "am not in a position to ~" — a polite refusal.
〜に過ぎない
Merely 〜に過ぎない
"Merely ~", "no more than ~".
〜ということだ
I hear that 〜ということだ
"I hear that ~"; also "that means ~".
〜というものだ
That is what ~ is 〜というものだ
"That is what ~ really is" — the speaker's verdict stated as a general truth.
〜というものではない
Not automatically so 〜というものではない
"It is not the case that ~ is automatically so".
〜といえば / 〜というと
Speaking of 〜といえば / 〜というと
"Speaking of ~", "when you say ~".
〜にほかならない
Nothing other than 〜にほかならない
"Is nothing other than ~", "is precisely ~".
〜かのように
As if 〜かのように
"As if ~" — a comparison to something that is not the case.
〜一方だ
Keeps getting 〜一方だ
"Keeps getting ~", "goes on ~ing" — a one-way trend.
〜がたい
Hard to bring oneself to 〜がたい
"Hard to ~", "impossible to bring oneself to ~".
〜ぬきで / 〜ぬきに
Without 〜ぬきで / 〜ぬきに
"Without ~", "leaving out ~".
〜てまで / 〜までして
Even going so far as 〜てまで
"Even going so far as to ~".
〜とはいえ
Be that as it may 〜とはいえ
"Although ~", "be that as it may" — concedes a known fact, then denies the expectation it creates.
〜といえども
Even granting that 〜といえども
"Even though ~", "even ~ (of all people)" — a very formal concession.
〜ところで
No matter what one does 〜ところで
"Even if ~", "no matter how much ~" — the effort will come to nothing.
〜であれ / 〜であろうと
Whether it be 〜であれ / 〜であろうと
"Whether it is ~", "even if it is ~" — the result holds in every case.
〜（よ）うが / 〜（よ）うと
No matter how 〜（よ）うが / 〜（よ）うと
"No matter how/what ~", "whether ~ or not" — the main clause is unaffected.
〜はさておき
Setting aside 〜はさておき
"Setting ~ aside", "leaving ~ for later" — shelving one topic to get to a more urgent one.
〜もかまわず
Without regard for 〜もかまわず
"Without caring about ~", "regardless of ~" — ignoring something one ought to mind.
〜をものともせず
Undaunted by 〜をものともせず
"Undaunted by ~", "in defiance of ~" — overcoming a hardship without being cowed.
〜を問わず
Irrespective of 〜を問わず
"Regardless of ~", "irrespective of ~" — the variable makes no difference.
〜ゆえ（に）
Owing to (literary) 〜ゆえ（に）
"Because of ~", "owing to ~" — a stiff, literary statement of cause.
〜とあって
Given the occasion 〜とあって
"Because it is (the special occasion of) ~" — a special situation produces a natural result.
〜ばこそ
It is only because 〜ばこそ
"It is precisely because ~ (and nothing else)" — an emphatic, positive reason.