Evaluation & Judgement 1 — までもない/までだ/には及ばない/に足る/に堪える/にかたくない
This lesson covers grammar for evaluation and judgement, which falls into roughly three groups. The first says "there's no need": 「までもない」 means something is so obvious or so minor that you needn't bother, and 「には及ばない」 is mostly a polite way of turning down someone's kindness, "please don't trouble yourself to…". The second is about whether something is worth it: 「に足る」 means something has enough value or standing to deserve a response, and its negative 「取るに足りない」 means "trivial"; 「に堪える」 means something stands up to being appreciated or criticised, while 「に堪えない」 means "too awful to watch or hear" — and with a feeling noun it turns into "deeply (grateful, regretful…)". The last two stand on their own: 「までだ」 expresses resolve, "if it comes to that, I'll just…", or an excuse, "I only…"; and 「にかたくない」 means "it is not hard to imagine". These patterns combine with a very fixed set of words, and what the N1 test checks most is exactly which word goes with which pattern, so learn each one together with its collocations.
Vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 火を見るより明らか | ひをみるよりあきらか | idiom as clear as day; perfectly obviousliterally "clearer than looking at fire", often of how something will turn out結果は火を見るより明らかだ the outcome is plain to see |
| 悪気 | わるぎ | n ill will; malicemostly in the negative, to excuse someone悪気はない to mean no harm悪気があって言ったわけではない I didn't say it to hurt anyone |
| 捻挫 | ねんざ | n, suru-verb spraina twisted joint, milder than a fracture足首を捻挫する to sprain one's ankle軽い捻挫 a slight sprain |
| 悲観 | ひかん | n, suru-verb pessimism; despairopposite: 楽観将来を悲観する to despair of the future悲観的な見方 a pessimistic view |
| 裏付ける | うらづける | v, trans. to back up; to corroboratesupporting a claim with evidence or data仮説を裏付ける to support a hypothesis証言を裏付ける証拠 evidence that corroborates testimony |
| 説得力 | せっとくりょく | n persuasiveness; power to convince説得力がある to be convincing説得力に欠ける to be unconvincing |
| 新興 | しんこう | n newly risen; emergingmostly before another noun, of companies, countries or forces新興企業 a start-up, an up-and-coming firm新興国 an emerging economy |
| 鑑賞 | かんしょう | n, suru-verb appreciation (of art)same reading as 観賞 (viewing flowers, fish) and 干渉 (interference)映画鑑賞 watching films鑑賞に堪える worth appreciating |
| 出来栄え | できばえ | n the result; how well something turned outof a work or product, usually as praise見事な出来栄え a splendid result出来栄えを評価する to judge how well something came out |
| 読み継ぐ | よみつぐ | v, trans. to keep being read from generation to generationusually passive長く読み継がれる名作 a classic that has been read for generations世代を超えて読み継がれる to be read across generations |
| 惨状 | さんじょう | n a terrible scene; devastationof disasters, accidents or war惨状を目の当たりにする to witness the devastation first-hand被災地の惨状 the devastation in the disaster zone |
| 誹謗中傷 | ひぼうちゅうしょう | n, suru-verb slander; online abusenow mostly of attacks on the internet誹謗中傷を受ける to be slanderedネット上の誹謗中傷 online abuse |
| 賜る | たまわる | v, trans. to receive (humbly)a humble form of もらう, used in speeches and lettersご支援を賜る to be granted one's supportご指導を賜りますよう we humbly ask for your guidance |
| 遺族 | いぞく | n the bereaved familycommon in reports of accidents, disasters and war遺族の悲しみ the family's grief遺族に寄り添う to stand by the bereaved |
| 統廃合 | とうはいごう | n, suru-verb merging and closingof schools, hospitals, branches学校の統廃合 school consolidation支店を統廃合する to merge and close branches |
| 経緯 | けいい | n the background; how things came abouta formal word for いきさつ事件の経緯 how the incident unfolded経緯を説明する to explain how it came about |
| 反発 | はんぱつ | n, suru-verb backlash; oppositionstrong resistance to a decision or policy反発を招く to provoke a backlash計画に反発する to oppose a plan |
1. 〜までもない ~made mo nai (There's no need to… / Needless to…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + までもない
- Verb dictionary form + までもなく、〜 (used adverbially)
- Verb dictionary form + までもないことだ
※ 「言うまでもない」 and 「言うまでもなく」 ("needless to say") are by far the most common set phrases.
Meaning
"There's no need to…" or "needless to…". Literally "it doesn't come to the point of (doing A)" — things are already obvious or minor enough that you know the answer, or it's fine, without doing A. It's the speaker's judgement, with a "does that even need saying?" tone.
Restrictions:
- It usually follows verbs like 「言う・説明する・確かめる・調べる・聞く・行く」 in the dictionary form, never a bare noun: ❌ 「説明までもない」 → ⭕ 「説明するまでもない」.
- The reason it isn't needed is that it's obvious or minor — not that doing it would be pointless.
- To tell someone "please don't trouble yourself" about a kindness they offer, use 「には及ばない」 rather than 「までもない」 (see point 3).
Example Sentences
- 彼の実力は誰もが認めるところで、今さら説明するまでもない。(Everyone recognises his ability; there's no need to explain it now.)
- この程度のかすり傷なら、わざわざ病院に行くまでもない。(For a scratch like this, there's no need to go all the way to the hospital.)
- 言うまでもなく、健康は何ものにも代えがたい財産だ。(Needless to say, health is a treasure nothing can replace.)
- 結果は火を見るより明らかで、確かめるまでもなかった。(The result was as clear as day; there was no need even to check.)
- 彼がこの案に反対するのは、本人に聞くまでもなく分かりきっている。(It's perfectly obvious, without even asking him, that he'll oppose this plan.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| までもない | no need to… | It's obvious or minor; the speaker's judgement; takes the verb dictionary form |
| には及ばない | no need to… | Mostly a polite refusal of someone's kindness; can also take a noun (point 3) |
| ことはない | no need to… | Spoken; often comforting or advising someone (N4 Lesson 31) |
| に当たらない | doesn't warrant… | Follows evaluative verbs like 「驚く・非難する・悲観する」 (N2 Lesson 71) |
「言うまでもない」 ⭕ — 「言うことはない」 means something else (= nothing to complain about, it's perfect)
「そんなに心配することはないよ」 (spoken reassurance) ⭕ — 「ご心配には及びません」 (formal, polite) ⭕
「彼が合格したのは驚くに当たらない」 = his passing is no surprise (an evaluation); 「驚くまでもない」 is rarely said.
✍ Practice this point (5 questions)
2. 〜までだ/〜までのことだ ~made da / ~made no koto da (I'll just… / I only…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + までだ／までのことだ (resolve: "then I'll just…")
- Verb ta-form + までだ／までのことだ (excuse: "I only…")
※ 「までのことだ」 is more formal than 「までだ」 and sounds more emphatic.
Meaning
- Dictionary form + までだ: "(if that's how it is) then I'll just…". If nothing else works, you'll take this last step without hesitation — a tone of "so be it".
- Ta-form + までだ: "I only…" or "all I did was…". It says your action had no special intent, as an excuse or out of modesty.
Restrictions:
- The dictionary-form use often follows a condition like 「〜なら」, 「〜ば」 or 「〜たら」 ("if it doesn't work out"), and what follows is the speaker's own decision: △ 「だめなら、あなたが一人でやるまでだ」 (deciding for someone else sounds odd).
- The ta-form use excuses something you did on purpose, often with the feel of 「ただ」 or 「〜だけ」: 「ただ聞いてみたまでだ」 (I only asked).
- 「それまでだ」 ("that's the end of it") is a different pattern — see 「ばそれまでだ」 in Lesson 86.
Example Sentences
- 電車が止まっているなら、歩いて帰るまでだ。(If the trains have stopped, I'll just walk home.)
- 誰も手伝ってくれないなら、一人でやるまでのことだ。(If nobody will help, then I'll simply do it alone.)
- 今年だめだったら、来年もう一度挑戦するまでだ。(If it doesn't work out this year, I'll just try again next year.)
- 別に悪気はなかった。思ったことを正直に言ったまでだ。(I meant no harm. I only said honestly what I thought.)
- 私はただ、上司の指示に従ったまでのことです。(All I did was follow my boss's instructions.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| dictionary form + までだ | then I'll just… | Your own resolve; unbothered, firm |
| しかない | have no choice but to… | A forced, reluctant choice; neutral (N3 Lesson 56) |
| ta-form + までだ | I only… | Excuses an action as having no other intent |
| にすぎない | merely… | An objective "it's no more than"; usually after a noun (N2 Lesson 61) |
「歩いて帰るしかない」 = I have no choice but to walk (reluctant); 「歩いて帰るまでだ」 = then I'll just walk (unbothered)
A favourite N1 trap: 「までもない」 (no need to) and 「までだ」 (then I'll just) differ by one 「も」 and mean completely different things.
「言うまでもない」 = needless to say; 「言ったまでだ」 = I was only saying.
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
3. 〜には及ばない ~ni wa oyobanai (There's no need to… / Is no match for…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + には及ばない
- Noun + には及ばない (mostly action nouns: 心配・お礼・説明 …)
- Polite form: 〜には及びません
- Noun + に（は）及ばない ("is no match for")
※ 「ご心配には及びません」 and 「お礼には及びません」 are the most common set phrases.
Meaning
- No need to…: "there's no need to…" or "please don't trouble yourself to…". Things haven't reached the point of needing A. Mostly a polite way to wave off someone's worry, thanks or effort, but also used for general judgements (「慌てるには及ばない」 there's no need to panic).
- Is no match for…: 「AはBに及ばない」 means A doesn't reach B's level; a common phrase is 「足元にも及ばない」 (can't hold a candle to).
Restrictions:
- In the "no need" sense it's mostly the polite 「〜には及びません」, usually about something the listener would do for the speaker; about the speaker's own action it is just a plain judgement (「私がわざわざ行くには及ばないだろう」), with no polite declining in it.
- Unlike 「までもない」, it can take a noun directly: ⭕ 「ご心配には及びません」, ❌ 「ご心配までもありません」.
- In the "no match" sense, what comes before is the thing compared against; it can't take a verb.
Example Sentences
- 軽い捻挫ですから、ご心配には及びません。(It's only a slight sprain, so there's no need to worry.)
- 資料はメールでお送りしますので、わざわざお越しいただくには及びません。(We'll send the documents by email, so there's no need for you to come all the way here.)
- ほんのささやかなお手伝いですから、お礼には及びません。(It was only a little help, so there's no need to thank me.)
- 一度の失敗くらいで、そう悲観するには及ばない。(There's no need to be so gloomy over a single failure.)
- 料理の腕では、私はまだまだ母には及ばない。(When it comes to cooking, I'm still nowhere near my mother.)
Comparison
| Expression | Attaches to | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| までもない | verb dictionary form | Too obvious or minor to bother (「言うまでもない」) |
| には及ばない | verb dictionary form / noun | Politely waving off someone's kindness (「ご心配には及びません」) |
| ことはない | verb dictionary form | Spoken reassurance (「謝ることはないよ」, N4 Lesson 31) |
If the gap follows a polite noun like 「ご心配（ ）」 or 「お礼（ ）」, choose 「には及びません」.
「わざわざお越しいただくまでもありません」 is also possible, but for turning down someone's kindness 「には及びません」 is the textbook choice.
The "no match" sense is tested too: 「彼の実力は、プロには遠く及ばない」 (his ability falls far short of a professional's).
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
4. 〜に足る/〜に足りない ~ni taru / ~ni tarinai (Worthy of… / Not worth…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + に足る／に足りない (に足らない)
- Noun (stem of a する-verb) + に足る: 信頼に足る・尊敬に足る・満足に足る
- Set phrase: 取るに足りない／取るに足らない (trivial)
※ 「足る」 is the written form of 「足りる」; in the negative both 「足りない」 and 「足らない」 are used.
Meaning
- に足る: "worthy of…" or "enough to…". The thing has enough value, standing or weight to deserve A (trust, respect, satisfaction…). A positive, fairly formal evaluation.
- に足りない: "not worth…" or "not enough to…". Found almost only in set phrases: 「取るに足りない」 (trivial), 「恐れるに足りない」 (nothing to fear), 「論じるに足りない」 (not worth discussing).
Restrictions:
- 「に足る」 mainly modifies a noun: 「信頼に足る人物」, 「納得させるに足る根拠」. As a bare predicate it's stiff: △ 「彼は信頼に足る。」 → ⭕ 「彼は信頼に足る人物だ。」
- What comes before is usually a word of evaluation or feeling (信頼・尊敬・満足・評価・納得させる・任せる). For everyday "is it enough" use 「足りる」: ⭕ 「千円で足りる」, ❌ 「千円に足る」.
- 「に足りない」 doesn't combine freely with any verb; learn the set phrases above.
Example Sentences
- 彼こそ、チームを任せるに足る人物だ。(He, of all people, is someone you can entrust the team to.)
- 今回の調査では、仮説を裏付けるに足るデータは得られなかった。(This survey produced no data strong enough to support the hypothesis.)
- 彼の説明には、聴衆を納得させるに足る説得力があった。(His explanation was persuasive enough to convince the audience.)
- そんな取るに足りないことで、いちいち腹を立てるな。(Don't get angry every time over such trivial things.)
- 実績のない新興企業など、恐れるに足りない。(An upstart company with no track record is nothing to fear.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Typical collocations |
|---|---|---|
| に足る | has enough value or standing | 信頼に足る・任せるに足る・納得させるに足る |
| に値する | deserves (an evaluation or action) | 称賛に値する・一読に値する・注目に値する |
| に堪える | stands up to… | 鑑賞に堪える・批評に堪える (point 5) |
| だけのことはある | lives up to… | Acknowledging a result after the fact (N2 Lesson 72) |
「に足る」 leans toward "qualified, safe to rely on", 「に値する」 toward "deserves that evaluation"; they often overlap: 「信頼に足る」 ≈ 「信頼に値する」.
But 「一読に値する」 and 「称賛に値する」 are the natural ones — 「一読に足る」 is much less common.
In the negative: 「取るに足りない」 = trivial (the thing itself doesn't matter); 「驚くに当たらない」 = no cause for surprise (N2 Lesson 71 — the reaction would be overdone).
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
5. 〜に堪える/〜に堪えない ~ni kotaeru / ~ni kotaenai (Worth… / Too awful to… / Deeply…)
Conjugation
- Verb dictionary form + に堪える／に堪えない
- Noun + に堪える／に堪えない
※ 「堪える」 is read 「たえる」. For enduring pain the usual spelling is 「耐える」 (「痛みに耐える」); this pattern is written 「堪える」.
Meaning
- に堪える: "worth…" or "stands up to…". A work or study is good enough to bear appreciation or criticism. It follows 「鑑賞・批評・読む・見る」 and the like.
- に堪えない ①: "too awful to…" — can't bear to watch, hear or read. It follows 「見る・聞く・読む」: the content is so grim or so bad it's hard to take.
- に堪えない ②: "deeply…" or "cannot express how…". It follows feeling nouns like 「感謝・遺憾・同情・痛恨・憂慮」, in speeches, statements and other formal settings.
Restrictions:
- ① combines only with a few verbs of perception like 「見る・聞く・読む」: △ 「食べるに堪えない」 (uncommon; people say 「食べられたものではない」).
- ② takes only feeling nouns, not adjectives: ❌ 「うれしいに堪えない」 → ⭕ 「喜びに堪えない」.
- 「に堪える」 often comes with 「十分」 or before a noun: 「十分鑑賞に堪える」, 「批評に堪える作品」.
Example Sentences
- 素人の作品とはいえ、十分鑑賞に堪える出来栄えだ。(It may be an amateur's work, but it's well worth looking at.)
- 長く読み継がれる古典とは、時代を超えて批評に堪える作品のことだ。(A classic that is read for generations is a work that stands up to criticism across the ages.)
- 地震の直後、町は見るに堪えない惨状だった。(Right after the earthquake, the town was a scene too terrible to look at.)
- ネット上には、読むに堪えない誹謗中傷があふれている。(The internet is full of abuse too vile to read.)
- 皆様から温かいご支援を賜り、感謝に堪えません。(We are deeply grateful for the warm support you have all given us.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| に堪える | stands up to… | About the quality of a work (appreciation, criticism) |
| に足る | worthy of…; qualified | About value or standing (trust, respect) |
| 見るに堪えない | too awful to look at | The content is so bad it hurts to see |
| 取るに足りない | trivial | Too small to bother about |
| 感謝に堪えない | deeply grateful | Formal speeches; follows a feeling noun |
| てならない／てたまらない | terribly… | Also spoken; follows verbs and adjectives (N3 Lesson 57) |
「見るに堪えない」 is close to 「見ていられない」; the latter is spoken.
「感謝に堪えない」 and 「遺憾に堪えない」 are set written expressions; in conversation people say 「本当にありがとう」 or 「残念でならない」.
The test likes to pair 「に堪えない」 (too awful) with 「に足りない」 (not worth it): too bad to watch → 堪えない; too small to mention → 足りない.
✍ Practice this point (4 questions)
6. 〜にかたくない ~ni katakunai (It is not hard to… / One can easily…)
Conjugation
- Noun + にかたくない: 想像にかたくない・理解にかたくない
- Verb dictionary form + にかたくない: 察するにかたくない
※ Written 「難くない」 in kanji, read 「かたくない」, not 「むずかしくない」.
Meaning
"It is not hard to…" or "one can easily…". Given the circumstances, a feeling, a situation or how things will develop is easy to imagine or sense — with the implication "it must be so". Written style, common in reports and commentary.
Restrictions:
- It combines almost only with 「想像」, 「察する」 and 「理解」, not with ordinary verbs: ❌ 「この問題は解くにかたくない」 → ⭕ 「この問題は簡単に解ける」.
- What's imagined is usually someone else's feelings (grief, pain, anxiety) or how events will unfold — not the speaker's own feelings.
- Don't mix it up with 「〜がたい」 (hard to…): 「想像にかたくない」 = easy to imagine, 「想像しがたい」 = hard to imagine.
Example Sentences
- 突然家族を失った遺族の悲しみは、想像にかたくない。(It is not hard to imagine the grief of families who suddenly lost their loved ones.)
- 長年勤めた会社を突然解雇された彼の無念さは、察するにかたくない。(One can easily sense his bitterness at being suddenly fired by the company he'd worked at for years.)
- このまま少子化が進めば、地方の小中学校の統廃合がさらに進むことは想像にかたくない。(If the birth rate keeps falling, it's easy to imagine even more rural schools being merged and closed.)
- これまでの経緯を考えれば、住民が計画に強く反発したのも理解にかたくない。(Given how things got here, it's not hard to understand why residents strongly opposed the plan.)
- 初めての海外赴任で、彼女がどれほど心細い思いをしたかは想像に難くない。(It's easy to imagine how lonely and helpless she felt on her first posting abroad.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 想像にかたくない | not hard to imagine | Written, a set phrase, implies "it must be so" |
| 想像がつく | can imagine | Neutral, spoken or written; negative 「想像もつかない」 |
| 想像しがたい | hard to imagine | The opposite meaning; 「がたい」 follows the masu-stem |
N1 questions often give 「想像に（ ）」 or 「察するに（ ）」, and the answer is 「かたくない」.
Watch the form: 「想像にかたくない」 (noun + に), 「察するにかたくない」 (verb dictionary form + に). 「想像するにかたくない」 also exists, but 「想像にかたくない」 is far more common.
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
Practice
Part 1: Choose the appropriate grammar (までもない / までだ / には及ばない / に足る / に足りない / に堪えない / にかたくない / ことはない)
- 言う（ ）ことだが、締め切りは必ず守ってください。
- 先方が会ってくれないなら、手紙で気持ちを伝える（ ）。
- 駅まではすぐですから、わざわざ車でお送りいただく（ ）。
- 彼は、どんな仕事でも安心して任せる（ ）人物だ。
- 取る（ ）ミスなのだから、そんなに落ち込まなくていい。
- 戦場から届いた映像は、見る（ ）ものばかりだった。
- 家を失った被災者の苦労は、想像（ ）。
- 大丈夫、あなたが謝る（ ）よ。悪いのは私のほうだから。
Part 2: Translate into Japanese
- Needless to say, safety comes first. (Use までもない)
- If nobody wants to go, then I'll just go myself. (Use までだ)
- It's only a scratch, so there's no need to worry. (Use には及ばない)
- This report contains no data that can be trusted. (Use に足る)
- We are deeply grateful for the kindness you have all shown us over the years. (Use に堪えない)
- It's not hard to imagine how anxious she was at the time. (Use にかたくない)
Answers
- までもない (「言うまでもないことだが」 is a set phrase)
- までだ (after 「〜なら」, the resolve "then I'll just…")
- には及びません (politely turning down the listener's offer; 「までもありません」 is also possible, but 「には及びません」 is the textbook choice here)
- に足る (modifies 「人物」: "someone you can safely trust with it"; 「任せるに足る」 is a typical collocation)
- に足りない (the set phrase 「取るに足りない」; 「取るに足らない」 is also fine)
- に堪えない (after 「見る」: too awful to watch)
- にかたくない (「想像にかたくない」)
- ことはない (spoken reassurance, "there's no need for you to apologise"; 「までもない」 and 「には及ばない」 both sound wrong in a close, casual exchange like this)
- 言うまでもなく、安全が第一だ。
- 誰も行きたがらないなら、私が自分で行くまでだ。
- ほんのかすり傷ですから、ご心配には及びません。
- この報告書には、信頼に足るデータがない。
- 長年にわたり皆様のご厚情を賜り、感謝に堪えません。
- 彼女がその時どれほど不安だったかは、想像にかたくない。
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