What does ～にして mean? Japanese grammar N1

Forming it

How to use it

Two meanings: (a) even someone at level A also...; (b) only at milestone A did.... Written.

• 「～にして」 meaning (a): even someone at level A is also like that — 「専門家にして解けない問題」 (a problem even an expert cannot solve).
• Meaning (b): only at milestone A did... — 「六十歳にして初めて」 (only at sixty, for the first time).
• Meaning (b) very often pairs with 「初めて」 → see the separate pattern 「～にして初めて」.

Examples

• これは専門(せんもん)家(か)にして解(と)けない難問(なんもん)だ。

  This is a problem even an expert cannot solve.

• 彼(かれ)は六(ろく)十(じゅう)歳(さい)にして新(あたら)しい事業(じぎょう)を始(はじ)めた。

  At the age of sixty, he started a new business.

Keep in mind

• Distinguish the two meanings by the type of noun: status → (a); age/number milestone → (b).
• Formal/literary style.

Common mistakes

• Wrong学生(がくせい)にして解(と)けない問題(もんだい)だ。

  This is a problem that even an expert cannot solve.

  Correct専門(せんもん)家(か)にして解(と)けない問題(もんだい)だ。

  Meaning (a) needs A to be a HIGH level (expert/master) for the phrase "even A cannot" to carry weight.

• Wrong六(ろく)十(じゅう)歳(さい)にしてなら、始(はじ)められる。

  Only at sixty did he start a new business.

  Correct六(ろく)十(じゅう)歳(さい)にして、新(あたら)しい事業(じぎょう)を始(はじ)めた。

  「にして」 attaches directly to the latter clause, without adding 「なら」.

Exam tips

• 「にして」 = (a) even A also / (b) only at milestone A; distinguish by the type of noun.

Related patterns

• ～にして初めて
• ～ですら
• ～ともあろう～