〜たりとも〜ない: 'Not Even a Single...' (Meaning + Examples)
Denying even the smallest unit
一 + counter + たりとも + 〜ない says that not even the single smallest instance of something is permitted or possible — stronger than a plain negative, because it explicitly rules out the bare minimum too. It shows up in formal speeches, warnings, and written appeals for absolute discipline.
この一秒たりとも無駄にできない。
この いちびょう たりとも むだに できない。
I can't afford to waste even a single second of this.
一秒 (one second) + たりとも + できない.
やったんは一円たりとももちに貸す気はない。
やったんは いちえん たりとも もちに かす きは ない。
Yattan has no intention of lending Mochi even a single yen.
Original example: 一円たりとも + 貸す気はない.
一瞬たりとも油断できない状況だ。
いっしゅん たりとも ゆだんできない じょうきょうだ。
It's a situation where you can't let your guard down for even a single moment.
Form: 一 + counter + たりとも + negative
The pattern almost always starts from 一 (one) plus a counter — 一瞬 (an instant), 一円 (one yen), 一日 (one day), 一つ (one thing) — followed by たりとも and a negative predicate (〜ない, 〜できない, 〜許されない).
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 一 + counter | 一＋counter＋たりとも＋〜ない | 一日たりとも休めない (can't take even a single day off) |
| 一 + counter | 一＋counter＋たりとも＋〜許されない | 一つたりともミスは許されない (not even one mistake is allowed) |
一日たりとも練習を休んだことはない。
いちにち たりとも れんしゅうを やすんだ ことは ない。
I have never rested from practice for even a single day.
たりとも strengthens ことはない to 'not even once.'
A high-register cousin of 一つも〜ない
〜たりとも〜ない overlaps in meaning with the plainer 一つも〜ない ("not even one"), but the register is completely different: たりとも belongs to formal writing, speeches, and rules, while 一つも〜ない is fine in everyday conversation. Don't reach for たりとも in casual speech — it will sound stiff and out of place, like quoting a regulation in small talk.
The short version
- 一 + counter + たりとも + 〜ない = "not even a single..." — an emphatic, total negation.
- Attaches to: 一 + counter (一瞬, 一円, 一日, 一つ, etc.), almost never other numbers.
- Nuance/register: formal, literary/written; used in warnings, rules, and strong declarations.
- Don't confuse with: 一つも〜ない, which means the same thing but fits ordinary conversation.
Practice it
Choose たりともない when the sentence makes an emphatic, total denial of even one instance.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿無駄にできない。
Where 〜たりとも〜ない fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- Past Tense · N5 — The plain past た-form means 'did.' It follows the same sound changes as the て-form (just て→た, で→だ): 食べた, 行った, 飲んだ. Learn it by verb group.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜てならない — 〜てならない attaches to feeling verbs or adjectives to mean an emotion is uncontrollable — 気になってならない ('I just can't stop worrying'). Formal and literary, don't confuse it with the unrelated 〜てはならない ('must not').
- 〜ともなると — 〜ともなると means 'once (someone/something) reaches that level or status, of course...' — it draws an expected, natural conclusion from a notable status, role, or occasion. Common with jobs, ranks, and life stages.
- 〜はおろか — 〜はおろか means 'let alone X' — it names a basic, easy case (X) and pairs it with a negative predicate to say that if even X isn't possible, a harder case (Y) certainly isn't either, similar to English 'not even X, let alone Y.'
- 〜を踏まえて — 〜を踏まえて means 'based on X' or 'taking X into account' — it introduces prior facts, results, or experience as the grounded foundation for a decision or action that follows, common in reports and formal discussion.
- 〜を経て — 〜を経て means 'through X' or 'after passing through X' — it marks a process, place, or period of time that was passed through before reaching a final result, often used for long journeys, careers, or lengthy processes.
- 〜を限りに — 〜を限りに marks a point in time as the last one — 'as of X, this ends.' Common in retirement announcements and store closures, it attaches to a noun and always signals a final cutoff, not a new beginning.