Japanese grammar
What does ～に（は）あたらない mean? Japanese grammar N1
～に（は）あたらない means not worthy of; no need to (worry/surprise).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N1 |
|---|---|
| Structure | Vる／N + に（は）あたらない |
| Romaji | nihaataranai |
| Meaning | not worthy of; no need to (worry/surprise) |
Forming it
| Connection | Vる／N + に（は）あたらない |
|---|
How to use it
Pushes back on an overreaction: since the thing is ordinary, there's no need to react that way. Used with emotion/evaluation verbs.
- 「Vる／N＋に（は）あたらない」 = not worth it, no need to. The accompanying verbs are quite limited: 驚く・感心する・褒める・非難する・悲観する.
- Always implies "that's only natural": 「当然の結果で、称賛にはあたらない」 (an expected result, so not worth praising).
- Different from 「～ことはない」 (advising not to do something because it's unnecessary), in that 「にはあたらない」 judges the DEGREE of a reaction as excessive.
Examples
小さな失敗だから、驚くにはあたらない。
It is a small mistake, so it is nothing to be surprised about.
当然の結果で、称賛にはあたらない。
It is an expected result and not worthy of praise.
Keep in mind
- The particle is 「に」: 「驚くにはあたらない」.
- Only combines with emotion/evaluation verbs, not with ordinary action verbs.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong驚くをあたらない。
Correct驚くにはあたらない。
The "not worth it" evaluation uses に（は）あたらない.
Exam tips
- 「にはあたらない」 = not worth being surprised/praised (since it's expected); uses 「に」.