に越したことはない (ni shitakotohanai)
the best possible choice; safest or most desirable option
Meaning & usage
に越したことはない expresses that doing or being something is the best and safest option, with nothing better. It is used for advice about caution, earliness, or care, as in 早いに越したことはない or 用心に越したことはない. It follows the dictionary form or ない form of verbs such as する or しない, i-adjectives, bare nouns plus に, and na-adjectives with である. It sounds like a firm judgment rather than casual suggestion, so it suits warnings and recommendations.
Example sentences 3
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用心に越したことはない。
Much caution does no harm.
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早いに越したことはない。
The earlier the better.
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警戒するに越したことはない。
You can't be too vigilant.
