Grammar › Emphasis & Exclusivity
言うまでもない — “needless to say, goes without saying”
Flags a fact as so obvious that stating it explicitly is almost unnecessary
言うまでもない (literally “there's no need to even say it”) introduces a fact so self-evident that pointing it out feels almost redundant — used right before stating that very fact anyway, for emphasis: “needless to say, X (is true).” 言うまでもなく also works as a sentence-opening adverb.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| 言うまでもなく + statement | 言うまでもなく、健康が一番大切だ — Needless to say, health is the most important thing |
| Noun + は言うまでもない | 準備の大切さは言うまでもない — The importance of preparation goes without saying |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言うまでもなく、努力なしに成功はない。 | いうまでもなく、どりょくなしにせいこうはない。 iumademonaku、doryokunashiniseikouhanai。 | Needless to say, there's no success without effort. |
| 彼の実力は言うまでもない。 | かれのじつりょくはいうまでもない。 karenojitsuryokuhaiumademonai。 | His ability goes without saying. |
| 安全第一なのは言うまでもありません。 | あんぜんだいいちなのはいうまでもありません。 anzendaiichinanohaiumademoarimasen。 | That safety comes first goes without saying. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
言うまでもない should only frame something genuinely obvious to everyone involved — using it before a fact that actually needs explaining reads as dismissive or presumptuous.