Let alone, not to mention: 〜はもちろん
Noun + はもちろん、〜も
Noun + はもちろん、〜も: A, needless to say, and B too. The obvious case comes first; what follows takes も or まで.
In short
〜はもちろん、〜も means “A, obviously, and B too”: you first name an obvious case that goes without saying, then add a second case (週末はもちろん、平日も混んでいる). Order matters: the most expected case comes first.
- 週末はもちろん、平日も混んでいる。しゅうまつはもちろん、へいじつもこんでいる。It's packed at weekends, of course, but on weekdays too.
- この店は、京都の人はもちろん、観光客にも人気がある。このみせは、きょうとのひとはもちろん、かんこうきゃくにもにんきがある。This shop is popular with Kyoto locals, of course, but with tourists too.
- 彼は英語はもちろん、中国語も話せる。かれはえいごはもちろん、ちゅうごくごもはなせる。He speaks English, obviously, and Chinese as well.
- 料理はもちろん、サービスもすばらしい。りょうりはもちろん、さーびすもすばらしい。The food, needless to say, and the service are both excellent.
The basics
もちろん means “of course”. 〜はもちろん, literally “A, of course”, sets up a first obvious case, then adds a second, less obvious case with も: “A, needless to say, and B as well” — English “not to mention”, “to say nothing of”, or “of course… but also”.
It's a very natural way to add emphasis: you present B as an extension of what's already expected.
It's packed at weekends, of course, but on weekdays too.
- noun
- other
- verb
- このお寺は、春や秋はもちろん、冬も美しい。このおてらは、はるやあきはもちろん、ふゆもうつくしい。This temple is beautiful in spring and autumn, of course, but also in winter.
- この本は、学生はもちろん、先生にも読んでほしい。このほんは、がくせいはもちろん、せんせいにもよんでほしい。I'd like this book to be read by students, obviously, but by teachers too.
How to form it
はもちろん follows a noun (with its particle if needed: 京都ではもちろん, 子どもにはもちろん). The second part takes も, or まで for emphasis.
| Construction | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + はもちろん、〜も | 英語はもちろん、中国語も | A, of course, and B too |
| Noun + particle + はもちろん | 京都ではもちろん、東京でも | in Kyoto, of course, and in Tokyo too |
| 〜はもちろん、〜まで | 大人はもちろん、子どもまで | and even B |
- この料理は、京都ではもちろん、東京でも食べられる。このりょうりは、きょうとではもちろん、とうきょうでもたべられる。You can eat this dish in Kyoto, of course, but in Tokyo too.
Order: the obvious first
The case before はもちろん has to be the most expected, the one everyone would think of. Reversing the order makes the sentence odd: 「平日はもちろん、週末も混んでいる」 would suggest you mainly expect crowds on weekdays.
- この道は、朝はもちろん、夜も車が多い。このみちは、あさはもちろん、よるもくるまがおおい。There's lots of traffic on this road in the morning, of course, but in the evening too.
はもちろん, だけでなく, ばかりか
だけでなく adds neutrally. ばかりか stresses the surprise of the second item. はもちろん stresses how obvious the first one is. At N2, you'll see はもとより, a more formal version of はもちろん.
| Form | What's emphasised | Example |
|---|---|---|
| だけでなく | simple addition | 英語だけでなく、中国語も |
| ばかりか | B is surprising | 英語ばかりか、アラビア語まで |
| はもちろん | A goes without saying | 英語はもちろん、中国語も |
- 彼は日本語だけでなく、スペイン語も話せる。かれはにほんごだけでなく、すぺいんごもはなせる。He speaks not only Japanese, but Spanish as well.
Common mistakes
- Putting the surprising case before はもちろん: the obvious item always comes first.
- Forgetting も in the second part: 英語はもちろん、中国語も話せる.
- Mixing it up with もちろん on its own (“of course!”): in 〜はもちろん, it attaches to a noun and announces an addition.
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 N3 point is on the Biwako Line (Work and the economy) of the Kyoto lines.