なおさら

• Reading: なおさら
• Romaji: naosara
• Formation: Condition/Reason + なおさら + Predicate

Meaning

An adverb meaning 'all the more' or 'even more so,' indicating that the degree of something increases due to an additional factor or condition. It expresses that a situation that was already notable becomes even more pronounced.

なおさら builds on an existing condition to say that an additional factor makes the situation intensify. The pattern is typically: 'A is already X, and if/because of B, it is なおさら X.' It differs from もっと, which is a neutral comparative, because なおさら specifically signals that something was already true and an added circumstance pushes it further. It pairs naturally with conditional forms (～たら/～ば/～と) and reason clauses (～から/～ので). In formal writing, the kanji form 尚更 may appear. A common colloquial variant is ましてや when leading into 'let alone.'

Examples

1. 初めての海外旅行で、しかも一人となると、なおさら不安が募る。 Being a first trip abroad and travelling alone at that, the anxiety grows all the more.
2. 雨の日は気分が沈みがちだが、寒い日が重なるとなおさらだ。 Rainy days tend to bring one's mood down, and when cold days are added on top, it is even more so.
3. 経験者でも苦戦するのだから、初心者にはなおさら難しいだろう。 If even experienced people struggle, it must be all the more difficult for beginners.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 好きな仕事であれば、なおさら努力を惜しむべきではない。
• 子供にとって難しいなら、大人にとってもなおさら複雑に感じるかもしれない。
• 信頼関係があるからこそ、嘘をつかれたらなおさら傷つく。

Don't Say

• なおさら天気がいい。(Using なおさら without any preceding condition that intensifies the situation) → 昨日もいい天気だったが、今日は風もなく、なおさら過ごしやすい。
• なおさら走った。(Using なおさら without establishing what makes the running 'even more' of something) → 遅刻しそうだったので、なおさら急いで走った。

Origin & History

なおさら combines なお (still, further) with さら (additionally, anew), both classical adverbs. Together they express a compounding effect — something that was already the case becomes 'still more so,' a construction documented since the Kamakura period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal