はもちろん

JLPT N3approx.Neutral
Meaning
  1. 1X goes without saying, and Y is also included (typically followed by Yも).Ex. 1
  2. 2X is a given, and it extends even to Y, a less expected item (typically followed by Yまで or Yさえ).Ex. 2
Examples
1
At this restaurant you can enjoy Japanese food, of course, as well as Chinese and Italian food.
2
My mother paid for my education, of course, and even covered my living expenses.
Formation
Noun+はもちろん
Emphatic formNoun+はもちろんのこと
Noun++はもちろんe.g. after 「に」「で」「から」
Usage

A neutral, very common pattern used in both conversation and writing to name an obvious item first and then add another. The added item Y usually carries も, まで or さえ, which makes the 'and also / even' link explicit. はもとより expresses the same idea more formally, while はおろか carries emphasis or criticism and typically appears in negative sentences.

Watch out

Note that X should be the more obvious or expected item and Y the less expected one; reversing them makes the sentence sound odd.

Learners sometimes use はおろか where はもちろん fits; はおろか sounds critical and usually pairs with negatives, so it does not suit neutral positive statements.

Easily confused with
  • 1.
    はもとよりN2「はもとより」has essentially the same meaning and can be swapped with 「はもちろん」, but it is more formal and literary, used mainly in formal writing and official contexts; in everyday conversation 「はもちろん」 sounds more natural. Be careful not to confuse it with the adverb 「もとより」 (meaning 'originally').
  • 2.
    はおろかN1「はおろか」 is mostly used for negative or surprising situations and often carries surprise, dissatisfaction, or resignation; its tone is stiff and literary. 「はもちろん」 works with both positive and negative content. Positive sentences cannot use 「はおろか」, and even in negative sentences the first item must be of a higher degree for the swap to work.
  • 3.
    のみならずN2「のみならず」 is a formal, stiff expression that simply adds to a range without emphasizing that the first item is the obvious case. It can also attach to verbs and adjectives, and can appear at the start of a sentence meaning 'not only that'. When attaching to nouns it is often interchangeable with 「はもちろん」, but in speech 「はもちろん」 is preferable.
  • 4.
    どころかN3「どころか」 usually negates or overturns the first item and often carries surprise, dissatisfaction, or irony; it can attach to verbs and adjectives, and can mean 'far from A, on the contrary B'. Only its additive (escalating) sense is interchangeable with 「はもちろん」; the 'on the contrary' sense is not.
  • 5.
    さえN3「さえ」 cites one extreme example to imply the rest, often pairing with negative forms, and can also mean 'even'. 「はもちろん」 first states the obvious case A and then introduces B. The two often combine as 「AはもちろんBさえ」. 「さえ」 can also attach to verbs.
  • 6.
    (で)すらN1「(で)すら」 cites one extreme example meaning 'even', often with surprise or dissatisfaction, and is literary in tone. 「はもちろん」 presents the obvious A first and then adds B, with a neutral register. The two cannot be swapped, but you can say 「Aはもちろん、Bすら」.

はもとより means the same but sounds more formal, and のみならず is a formal written 'not only'. はおろか and どころか stress a surprising contrast, often in negative contexts, while さえ and (で)すら ('even') mark only the extreme item itself rather than contrasting it with an obvious one.

Grammar · JLPT grammar levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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