rather; better (まだしも) – Japanese Grammar まだしも (madashimo)

Q: What JLPT level is まだしも?

JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage

Q: How do you use まだしも in a sentence?

Attach まだしも to the appropriate verb or noun form. Rather; better

Q: Is まだしも formal or casual Japanese?

まだしも is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

まだしも

N2 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

madashimo

rather; better

以上は ijou wa なくて済む nakute sumu ばかりに bakari ni ことだから koto dakara 恐れがある osore ga aru もっとも motto mo まい mai に基づいて ni motozuite ことに koto ni に加えて ni kuwaete そう言えば sou ieba せいか sei ka ものがある mono ga aru にて nite に向かって ni mukatte おまけに omake ni もかまわず mo kamawazu ぬ nu にしろ～にしろ ni shiro~ni shiro それにしても sore ni shitemo 以上は ijou wa なくて済む nakute sumu ばかりに bakari ni ことだから koto dakara 恐れがある osore ga aru もっとも motto mo まい mai に基づいて ni motozuite ことに koto ni に加えて ni kuwaete そう言えば sou ieba せいか sei ka ものがある mono ga aru にて nite に向かって ni mukatte おまけに omake ni もかまわず mo kamawazu ぬ nu にしろ～にしろ ni shiro~ni shiro それにしても sore ni shitemo

🃏 Flashcard

まだしも

madashimo

Tap to reveal usage

rather; better

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N2

Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage

Reading madashimo

Post ID 51056

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

rather; better

📖 How to use it

まだしも marks something as comparatively better or more acceptable than the alternative being discussed.

Attaches to Attach to the plain form of verbs/adjectives, or to nouns followed by なら or は (e.g., ならまだしも, はまだしも). When attached to a noun, なら or は precedes まだしも.

まだしも expresses 'if it were (A), that would be somewhat acceptable, but (B) is not.' It sets up a contrast where the first option is seen as relatively tolerable, though not ideal, while the second is clearly worse or unacceptable. It is often used in criticism or complaint.

This pattern appears in sentences like 'A まだしも B' where B is the actual situation and is judged negatively. It can be used with verbs in their plain past form or with nouns using なら/は. The nuance is that while A is not great, it's at least better than B.

まだしも is fairly formal and common in written Japanese, but also appears in spoken language when making a pointed comparison. It is not rude, but it can sound direct or critical, so use it when expressing dissatisfaction or a strong opinion.

遅れるならまだしも、来ないのはひどいよ。

Okureru nara madashimo, konai no wa hidoi yo.

If you were just late, that would be one thing, but not coming at all is terrible.

値段が高いのはまだしも、味が悪いのは許せない。

Nedan ga takai no wa madashimo, aji ga warui no wa yurusenai.

High prices are one thing, but bad taste is unforgivable.

雨が降るならまだしも、台風が来るなんて困る。

Ame ga furu nara madashimo, taifuu ga kuru nante komaru.

If it were just rain, that might be okay, but a typhoon is a problem.

Not まだいいが (mada ii ga) まだしも compares two alternatives and says the first is relatively better; まだいいが simply states that something is still acceptable (often before adding a negative comment). For example, '電車が遅れるのはまだいいが、運休は困る' (Train delays are still okay, but cancellations are a problem) — here まだいいが is similar, but まだしも often implies a hypothetical or less real condition, while まだいいが states a factual concession.

Register まだしも is used in both written and spoken Japanese, but it is more formal and appears often in essays, news, and serious discussions; in casual speech, it may sound a bit stiff.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

まだしも

📚 How to Master This Pattern

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Press Hear it and repeat まだしも three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

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Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using まだしも. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

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🔗 More JLPT N2 Patterns

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くせして

although~; despite the fact that~

まい

will not; intend not to

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern まだしも mean? ▼

Rather; better

What JLPT level is まだしも? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use まだしも in a sentence? ▼

Attach まだしも (madashimo) 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 まだしも formal or casual Japanese? ▼

まだしも 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 まだしも 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 later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.