～でも・じゃあるまいし

Japanese Grammar Advanced Japanese ★★★ 3/5 casual でもあるまいしdemo arumaishi
Reading でもあるまいし
Romaji demo arumaishi
Formation Noun + でもあるまいし / Noun + じゃあるまいし

Meaning

A phrase meaning 'it's not as if (one is)...' used to express the speaker's belief that someone's behavior or attitude is inappropriate because the premise it seems based on is wrong or absurd.

～でもあるまいし / ～じゃあるまいし is used to dismiss someone's action or state as unjustified by pointing out that a false premise underlies it. The speaker implies 'you're not X, so why are you acting like X?' Common patterns include 子供でもあるまいし (you're not a child), 初めてでもあるまいし (it's not your first time), and 世界の終わりでもあるまいし (it's not the end of the world). あるまいし is the negative presumptive of ある (ある + まい + し), literally 'it probably isn't the case that... and.' The し at the end adds a reason-giving nuance. This pattern is conversational and often carries a reproachful or teasing tone. It is more colloquial than formal, but appears across registers.

Examples

  1. 子供でもあるまいし、そんなことで泣くのはやめなさい。 You're not a child — stop crying over something like that.
  2. 初めての出張じゃあるまいし、もう少し落ち着いて準備したらどうだ。 It's not your first business trip — why don't you calm down and prepare properly?
  3. 世紀の大発見でもあるまいし、そこまで大げさに騒ぐ必要はない。 It's not the discovery of the century — there's no need to make such a fuss.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, everyday, written

Tone: reproachful

Do Say

  • 新入社員でもあるまいし、報告書の書き方くらい分かるだろう。
  • 戦時中じゃあるまいし、食料の心配などする必要はない。
  • ロボットでもあるまいし、感情を完全に抑えるのは無理だよ。

Don't Say

  • 先生でもあるまいし、教えてくれてありがとう。 (Using あるまいし to express gratitude — the pattern is for dismissing inappropriate behavior based on a false premise, not for thanking someone) → 先生でもないのに、丁寧に教えてくれてありがとう。
  • 日本人でもあるまいし、日本語が上手ですね。 (Using あるまいし as a compliment — the pattern implies criticism or correction, not praise) → 日本人じゃないのに、日本語がとても上手ですね。

Origin & History

あるまいし derives from the classical negative volitional/conjectural auxiliary まい attached to ある, producing 'it probably is not.' The conjunctive particle し (giving reasons) was appended, creating a fixed phrase. This construction became common in Edo-period colloquial speech and remains widely used today.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

なぜか An adverb meaning 'for some reason' or 'somehow,' indicating that the speaker or writer does not know or cannot explain the cause of a situation or phenomenon. 一応 An adverb meaning 'tentatively,' 'for now,' or 'just in case,' indicating that an action or state is only preliminary, temporary, or meets a minimum standard without being fully satisfactory. 何[(Number)+Counter]も A phrase indicating a large number of something, emphasizing quantity beyond normal expectation. It means 'many,' 'numerous,' or 'as many as [number]' when combined with counters. 何とか An adverb meaning 'somehow,' 'one way or another,' or 'manage to,' expressing that something is accomplished with difficulty or that a situation barely reaches an acceptable outcome. 単に An adverb meaning 'simply,' 'merely,' or 'just,' used to indicate that something is nothing more than what is stated. It often downplays or limits the scope of a claim. 済む A verb meaning 'to be finished,' 'to be settled,' or 'to suffice,' used to express that something is completed or that a minimal effort or outcome is enough to resolve a situation. ～でも[Wh. word]でも A structure meaning 'whether X or whatever,' indicating that what is expressed in the main clause holds true regardless of the specific case. It expresses universality or indifference to the particular choice. ～ともなく A phrase meaning 'without really intending to' or 'absent-mindedly,' indicating that the subject performs an action without conscious attention or deliberate purpose. It conveys a sense of aimlessness or inattentiveness.
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