JLPT N1

~dewa aru maishi

Means 'it’s not as if...', 'it’s not that...', more formal than じゃあるまいし.

Formation

Explanation

「Noun + ではあるまいし」indicates that the noun is not the situation or reason being implied. It dismisses a possibility or justification, e.g. 'It’s not as if X, so don’t worry/do that/etc.' This is the more formal counterpart to じゃあるまいし.

Example sentences

  • She’s not a professional singer, so it’s rather harsh to demand perfection.

    Kanojo wa puro no kashu de wa aru mai shi, kanpeki o motomeru no wa koku da.

  • He’s not a child, so I’m not sure about him eating that much chocolate.

    Kare wa kodomo de wa aru mai shi, sonnani chokoreeto bakari taberu no wa douka to omou.

  • He’s not a doctor, so he has no need to pry into your health.

    Kare wa isha de wa aru mai shi, anata no kenkou joutai o sensaku suru hitsuyou wa nai.

  • It’s not an expensive ring, so dropping it isn’t a big deal.

    Kono yubiwa wa kouka na mono de wa aru mai shi, otoshite mo taishita koto wa nai.