Grammar › Outcome & Result
ことなく — “without (ever) doing”
A formal way to say something happened, or didn't happen, without a particular action ever occurring
Dictionary-form verb + ことなく formally states that something proceeded, or a state continued, without a particular action ever taking place — “without ever doing X.” It's a written/formal equivalent of ないで, often found in narration and news.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form + ことなく | 彼は諦めることなく、挑戦し続けた — He kept challenging himself without ever giving up |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 彼女は一度も休むことなく、十年間働き続けた。 | かのじょはいちどもやすむことなく、じゅうねんかんはたらきつづけた。 kanojohaichidomoyasumukotonaku、juunenkanhatarakitsuzuketa。 | She worked for ten years without ever taking a break. |
| 事故は誰にも気づかれることなく処理された。 | じこはだれにもきづかれることなくしょりされた。 jikohadarenimokizukarerukotonakushorisareta。 | The incident was handled without anyone noticing. |
| 彼は迷うことなく、その道を選んだ。 | かれはまようことなく、そのみちをえらんだ。 karehamayoukotonaku、sonomichiwoeranda。 | He chose that path without hesitating. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
ことなく is formal and mostly appears in writing or narration — in everyday speech, ないで or ずに is the natural equivalent (休まないで, 休まずに), so save ことなく for essays and reports.
