だに / だにしない
🃏 Flashcard
だに / だにしない
dani / dani shinai
Tap to reveal usage
even; not even ~
N1
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N1
Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms
Reading
dani / dani shinai
Post ID
51204
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
even; not even ~
📖 How to use it
A formal, literary pattern meaning 'even' that emphasizes the absence or impossibility of an action or state.
Attaches to
Attaches to the dictionary form of a verb or to a noun (often a suru-verb stem) directly. For the negative, use the same attachment followed by しない.
This pattern is used to express that something is not even done, or to emphasize that even the smallest degree of an action or state does not occur. It often carries a sense of impossibility or strong negation. For example, 想像だにしない means 'not even imagine' — you don't even go as far as imagining. It can also attach to nouns like 夢 (dream) to say 'not even in a dream.'
彼はその計画について一言だに話さなかった。
Kare wa sono keikaku ni tsuite hitokoto dani hanasanakatta.
He didn't say even a word about that plan.
彼女の気持ちを想像だにしない。
Kanojo no kimochi o souzou dani shinai.
I don't even imagine how she feels.
夢だに思わなかった出来事が起こった。
Yume dani omowanakatta dekigoto ga okotta.
An event that I never even dreamed of happened.
Not さえ / すら
さえ and すら are more common in both speech and writing and can be used with various particles. だに is highly literary and restricted to set phrases or formal contexts; it does not combine with particles like さえ does.
Register
This is a literary, formal pattern rarely used in conversation; it appears in written texts, speeches, or formal statements.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
だに / だにしない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat だに / だにしない 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 だに / だにしない. 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
← Previous
ぶる / ぶって / ぶった
behaving like; to pretend / act like ~
Next →
だの〜だの
and; and the like; and so forth ~
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern だに / だにしない mean?
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Even; not even ~
What JLPT level is だに / だにしない?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use だに / だにしない in a sentence?
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Attach だに / だにしない (dani / dani shinai) 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 だに / だにしない formal or casual Japanese?
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だに / だにしない 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 だに / だにしない long-term?
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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 later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.