といい and といわず

Table of Contents

This page explains といい and といわず, similar expressions that come from 言う.

～といい～といい – From X to Y its… (State)
～といわず～といわず – From X to Y its the same (Place, time)

Although といい and といわず both come from 言う, but since they are closer to expressions than “say”, they are usually written in kana.

～といい～といい

From X to Y/XもYも
Noun + といい + different noun + といい

といい is used to give 2 examples that are representative of some characteristic or state.
Its meaning is close to “From X to Y” (This does not need to be A-Z, start to finish, etc.)

It is not used for commands, hopes, etc.
It must be a “This is how it is” sentence and not “This is how it should be”, “what you should do”, “what I want”, etc. sentence.

Put more simply, this pattern will/can end in だ, ある or いる.

といい is almost always used twice, but may have the second one abbreviated.
彼といい、皆は真面目だ
Him and (others), everyone is serious.

The nouns used must be about the same topic. This should be natural, but a sentence like:
りんごといい血といい、紅だ。✖
From apples to blood, they are crimson. ✖
Does not work, since there is no shared category (other than red) for apples and blood, but a sentence like:

ラッグといいカーテンといい、部屋は赤だらけだ○
From the rugs to the curtains, the room was red everywhere.○

Is ok because “rugs” and “curtains” are both part of the room.

Examples

色といい形といい、本物にそっくりだ
From the color to the shape, it looks exactly like the real thing.
美しさといい性格といい、彼女は最高だ
From her beauty to her personality, she is the absolute best.
チーフといいマネージャといい、皆は厳しいだ
From the chief to the manager, everyone is so strict.

といわず

From X to Y its the same, XもYも
Noun + といわず + Noun + といわず

といわず is the same as といい with 4 minor differences:

Generally used with time and place comparisons instead of pieces of a larger topic.
May be a state or verb sentence.
Tends to be used with bad things.
Is not used with negative (ない) sentences.

Due to the ability to use verbs, it is far more common with time words than といい.

This pattern is not used for “I want you to” or “You should” type sentences, nor negatives.

Examples

平日といわず週末といわず、いつでも文句を言いに来る。
Weekdays and weekends, they always come to make a complaint.
部屋といわず台所といわず家中は汚い
From the rooms to the kitchen, the entire house was dirty.
顔といわず足といわず、3歳の子供はチョコまみれだ
From face to feet, the 3 year old kid was covered in chocolate.

Notes

といい

Used with general nouns about a shared topic
Used for state sentences. (Adjectives, nouns, だ, いる、ある)
Positive or negative ending sentences
Used for neutral, good, or bad things.

といわず

Mostly time or place (including body parts)
State or verb sentences
Used for bad things.
Not used with negative ending sentences