rather than (do ...) (くらいなら) – Japanese Grammar くらいなら (kurai nara)

Q: What JLPT level is くらいなら?

JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Q: How do you use くらいなら in a sentence?

Attach くらいなら to the appropriate verb or noun form. Rather than (do ...)

Q: Is くらいなら formal or casual Japanese?

くらいなら is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

くらいなら

N1 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

kurai nara

rather than (do ...)

ともすれば tomo sureba とは打って変わって/ とは打って変わり towa utte kawatte / to wa utte kawari さ sa いかんだ / いかんでは/ いかんによっては ikan da / ikan dewa / ikan ni yotte wa てからというもの te kara to iu mono とは towa に至るまで ni itaru made とみると to miru to が早いか ga hayai ka をもって /をもちまして o motte /o mochimashite ことなしに koto nashi ni ても知らない temo shiranai を余儀なくされる o yogi naku sareru ときている to kiteiru さぞ sazo たつもりはない ta tsumori wa nai といえども to ie domo ってば / ったら tteba / ttara なしに / なしで nashi ni / nashi de じみた jimita ともすれば tomo sureba とは打って変わって/ とは打って変わり towa utte kawatte / to wa utte kawari さ sa いかんだ / いかんでは/ いかんによっては ikan da / ikan dewa / ikan ni yotte wa てからというもの te kara to iu mono とは towa に至るまで ni itaru made とみると to miru to が早いか ga hayai ka をもって /をもちまして o motte /o mochimashite ことなしに koto nashi ni ても知らない temo shiranai を余儀なくされる o yogi naku sareru ときている to kiteiru さぞ sazo たつもりはない ta tsumori wa nai といえども to ie domo ってば / ったら tteba / ttara なしに / なしで nashi ni / nashi de じみた jimita

🃏 Flashcard

くらいなら

kurai nara

Tap to reveal usage

rather than (do ...)

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N1

Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Reading kurai nara

Post ID 51256

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

rather than (do ...)

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

くらいなら

📚 How to Master This Pattern

🔊

Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat くらいなら three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

🃏

Flip Before Reading

Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.

✍️

Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using くらいなら. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

⏰

Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N1 Patterns

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern くらいなら mean? ▼

Rather than (do ...)

What JLPT level is くらいなら? ▼

JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. To pass JLPT N1 you need to recognise and use this pattern correctly in reading and listening sections.

How do you use くらいなら in a sentence? ▼

Attach くらいなら (kurai nara) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is くらいなら formal or casual Japanese? ▼

くらいなら is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.

How can I remember くらいなら long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review at 10 minutes, 1 day and 3 days (spaced repetition). Writing two original sentences at each review session is the fastest way to reach production-level mastery.