だに + しない
Meanings
- Not even
- Not at all
- Never could have
About this pattern
Explanation
だに emphasizes extreme contrast or impossibility by highlighting a small or obvious thing as a basis for the statement. When paired with しない, it expresses that not even that small, obvious thing is possible or done. It conveys a sense of astonishment or strong negative emphasis about one’s actions or outcomes. This pattern is often used in formal or literary contexts and tends to appear in spoken language with a touch of emphasis or irony. Typical contexts include criticizing someone for failing to do something that should be trivial, or describing something so unlikely that even the simplest example would not occur.
Learn in context
Example sentences
Not even such an easy task can he bring himself to do? Is he really being lazy?
I can’t believe someone who can't even do something as easy as this becomes an adult.
He won’t even remember something this ordinary; there’s no way he can recall it.
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More N1 patterns
from ... to ...; from start to finish; up to and including
View detailsNo matter how ~, it won't change the outcome; Even if ~, the result is still unlikely; Even though ~, it doesn't matter; it's futile to ~
View detailslike; similar to; as if; the same as
View detailsto be worthy of; to be enough for; to be sufficient
View detailsextreme; extremely; unbearably; to an extreme degree
View detailsEven though; Even if; Although; Despite
View details