Other て Form Expressions
This page covers some miscellaneous て form expressions that weren’t hard enough for their own page.
てでも
I’d do anything, even…/Even if I have to
てでも is a more extreme way of saying “ても/でも.
This pattern tends to be used with extreme, possibly hyperbolic, examples.
Since てでも emphasizes the desire to do something, it tends to be used with たい.
Examples
- 人を殺してでも手に入れたい – I want to get it so bad I’d kill someone.
- 無理してでも行きたい – I want to go even if I have to 無理する (try hard to get through pain/etc).
- 車を盗んででも彼女を病院に運ぶんだ – I’ll get her to the hospital even if I have to steal a car.
てからでないと
It has to be after
Prerequisite + てからでないと + can’t do/very hard to do/difficulty
This pattern indicates a prerequisite for some action. In other words, what must happen first.
This pattern may also be てからでなければ or てからじゃないと (Spoken)
The part coming after must be either negative potential or indicate difficulty
This pattern can also be used with Time as からでないと
Examples
- 上司と相談してからでなければお答えできません – I can’t answer you before I discuss with my bosses.
- 食べてからでないと、元気がでない – I won’t have any energy unless I eat first.
- 金をもらってからでないと案内できません – We can’t guide you before we get the money.
- 飲んでからでないと素直に話すのは難しい – Its hard to talk frankly before drinking.
- 6時からでないといけない – I can’t go unless its after 6.
てこそ
Only after X, good result
てこそ is a bit hard to explain. It means “Only by doing X, does Y happen”;
It is the same as てはじめて except that it cannot be used with events that have already occurred.
The thing after こそ should be a good thing.
てこそ is commonly used with words like できる and わかる
Examples
- 親になってこそ、親の苦労がわかる – Only after becoming a parent can you know the struggles of parenthood.
- アナフィラキシーを経験してこそその痛みがわかる – Only after you experience anaphylaxis do you understand how painful it is
- 頑張ってこそ成功できる – Only after you try hard can you succeed.
- 英語を教えてこそ英語の難しさがわかる – You only understand how hard English is after you try to teach it.