As good as: 〜も同然
N / Verb-た + も同然だ／も同然の + N
N / Verb-た + も同然だ (before a noun: も同然の): not quite the case, but as good as. An emphatic judgement by the speaker. For a real identity: と同じ.
In short
〜も同然 (どうぜん) says that, without quite being the case, it might as well be: “as good as, practically, you might as well say”. 同然 means “the same, identical”. It's the speaker's judgement, often emphatic, sometimes exaggerated: a car that's as good as new (新品も同然), a match that's as good as won (勝ったも同然), a neighbour who's practically family (家族も同然). Neutral register, spoken and written.
- この車は三年乗ったが、新品も同然だ。このくるまはさんねんのったが、しんぴんもどうぜんだ。I've had this car for three years, but it's as good as new.
- あと一点取れば、優勝したも同然だ。あといってんとれば、ゆうしょうしたもどうぜんだ。One more point and the championship is as good as ours.
- 彼にとって、隣の家のおばあさんは家族も同然だ。かれにとって、となりのいえのおばあさんはかぞくもどうぜんだ。To him, the old lady next door is practically family.
- ただ同然の値段で、古い机を買った。ただどうぜんのねだんで、ふるいつくえをかった。I bought an old desk for next to nothing.
The basics
同然 (どうぜん) is “the same, identical”. 〜も同然, literally “even X, it's the same”: reality isn't exactly X, but the gap is so small you can treat it as X. The car is three years old, but you might as well call it new; the match isn't over, but you might as well call it won.
It's always the speaker's judgement, often emphatic, sometimes exaggerated for effect. In English: “as good as, practically, virtually, you might as well say”.
One more point and the championship is as good as ours.
- verb
- grammatical form
- 彼女とは毎日会っているから、もう家族も同然だ。かのじょとはまいにちあっているから、もうかぞくもどうぜんだ。We see each other every day, so she's practically family now.
- 一度も使っていないから、このパソコンは新品も同然だ。いちどもつかっていないから、このぱそこんはしんぴんもどうぜんだ。I've never used it, so this computer is as good as new.
How to form it
With a verb, you almost always use the past: the action isn't finished yet, but you treat it as a done deal (決まったも同然). Before a noun, you say も同然の. The fixed expression ただ同然 (“for next to nothing”) even does without も.
| Construction | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| N + も同然だ | 家族も同然だ | practically family |
| Verb-た + も同然だ | 勝ったも同然だ | as good as won |
| N + も同然の + N | 新品も同然の車 | a car that's as good as new |
| ただ同然（の / で） | ただ同然で譲ってもらう | be given something for next to nothing |
- 社長がオーケーを出したから、計画は決まったも同然だ。しゃちょうがおーけーをだしたから、けいかくはきまったもどうぜんだ。The president has given the go-ahead, so the plan is as good as approved.
- 引っ越しのとき、友だちにソファーをただ同然で譲ってもらった。ひっこしのとき、ともだちにそふぁーをただどうぜんでゆずってもらった。When a friend moved, they let me have their sofa for next to nothing.
も同然, と同じ, のようだ, みたいなもの
と同じ states a real identity: この時計は兄のと同じだ (it really is the same model). のようだ and みたいだ compare by appearance. も同然 asserts that, for all practical purposes, it's the same thing, while knowing it's not quite true.
In speech, 〜みたいなものだ (or みたいなもんだ) plays a similar role, more casually: 「この店は第二の家みたいなものだ」.
| Expression | Idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| と同じ | real identity | 色が前のと同じだ |
| のようだ | comparison, appearance | 雪のように白い |
| も同然 | not quite, but as good as | 新品も同然だ |
| みたいなもの | “it's sort of like” (spoken) | 第二の家みたいなものだ |
- この時計は、兄のと同じだ。このとけいは、あにのとおなじだ。This watch is the same as my brother's. (real identity)
- この喫茶店は、私にとって第二の家みたいなものだ。このきっさてんは、わたしにとってだいにのいえみたいなものだ。This café is something like a second home to me.
Common mistakes
- Using it for a real identity: if the two things really are the same, you say と同じ.
- Putting the verb in the present: you say 勝ったも同然, not “勝つも同然”.
- Translating も as “also” (“also the same”): here, も adds emphasis; just remember “as good as, practically”.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N2 point is on the Meikō Line (The economy and trade) of the Nagoya lines.