JLPT N2 grammar

〜ことなくmeaning and usage

Meaning

Without doing A once (expressed strongly)

How to form it

  • verb (dictionary form)ことなく

How it is used

Formal: 'without (ever) doing', stressing that something that might have happened did not happen at all, as in 「休むことなく」 or 「迷うことなく」. In conversation, 「〜ないで」 or 「〜ずに」 is more usual.

Examples

  1. あんなに部活に打ち込んでいたのに、彼女は留年することなく卒業したらしい。

    Even though she threw herself completely into her club activities, it seems she graduated without having to repeat a year.

  2. 彼は三年間、一日も休むことなく働いた。

    For three years, he worked without taking a single day off.

  3. 彼女は迷うことなく、赤いドレスを選んだ。

    She chose the red dress without hesitation.