Stance & emphasis

87 phrases

Concession29 Concession patterns grant a point, then override it. 「理由が何であれ、暴力は許されない」 pairs 「であれ」 with a question word to mean "whatever it is." The trap is 「たところで」: 「今さら謝ったところで、彼の気持ちは変わらないだろう」 isn't neutral "even if" — it signals the effort is futile, so it takes a negative outcome. Contrast with 「冗談にせよ」, a flatter "even supposing."
Emphasis29 Emphasis particles put the spotlight exactly where you want it. 「今度こそ、絶対に成功させてみせる」 uses 「こそ」 to single out "this time, above all others." Watch 「どころか」 in 「良くなるどころかかえって悪化した」 — it flips the expectation, "far from getting better." And 「思い出されてならない」 shows 「てならない」, an emotion so strong it can't be held back — not simple emphasis but overflow.
Limitation (only)29 These phrases all shrink something down to size: 「今回の成功は偶然にすぎない」 says the win was nothing more than luck, and 「それは言い訳にすぎない」 dismisses an excuse as merely that. The N2 trap is treating にすぎない like だけ — だけ just counts, while にすぎない adds a judgment: 'X and nothing more important than X.' Use it to downplay, as in 「私はただ事実を述べたにすぎません」.

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