Meaning & usage
ずとも expresses that a result still holds even if an action is not done, as in even without reading or even if you do not ask. It attaches to the stem used before ない, so 読まない becomes 読まずとも and する becomes せずとも. It is literary and formal, common in writing and speeches rather than casual conversation. Keep the person who avoids the action clear and consistent with the main clause to avoid ambiguity.
Example sentences 4
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君の考えは当たらずとも遠からずだ。
Your guess is almost right.
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彼は、黒人たちが暴力に頼らずとも平等な権利を勝ち取れると信じていた。
He believed that blacks could win their fight for equal rights without violence.
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説明書を読まずとも、この機械は直感的に使える。
You can use this machine intuitively even without reading the manual.
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詳しく調べずとも、その店が人気なのは一目瞭然だった。
Even without looking into it in detail, it was obvious that the restaurant was popular.
