N2 · Expressions (N2)
からといって: just because
a reason that does not justify the conclusion
からといって rejects a conclusion that seems to follow: "just because A, it does not mean B".
At a glance
- Remember
- からといって: the reason is true, the conclusion does not follow.
- Form
- 高いからといってjust because it is expensive
- Signal words
- 〜からといって
- 〜からって
- 〜とは限らない
- 〜わけではない
- Trap
- Wrong:高いから、いいものではない。Right:高いからといって、いいものとは限らない。
Your turn
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The form
| just because it is expensive | 高いからといって |
| just because he is a child | 子どもだからといって |
| just because you like it | 好きだからといって |
| just because he said so | 言ったからといって |
| …is not necessarily | 〜とは限らない |
| casual | 雨だからって |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
からといって rejects a conclusion that seems to follow from a reason.
日本人だからといって、敬語が上手だとは限らない。Just because someone is Japanese does not mean they are good at keigo.
The second half is negative: とはかぎらない, わけではない, てはいけない.
忙しいからといって、食事を抜いてはいけない。Being busy is no reason to skip meals.
A noun or a na-adjective takes だ before からといって.
簡単だからといって、油断してはいけない。Just because it is easy, you must not let your guard down.
In casual speech: からって.
嫌いだからって、残しちゃだめだよ。You can't leave it just because you don't like it.
Example sentences
有名な店だからといって、おいしいとは限らない。Just because a restaurant is famous does not mean it is good.
一度失敗したからといって、諦めることはない。There is no need to give up just because you failed once.
嫌いだからといって、挨拶しないのはよくない。It is not right to ignore someone just because you dislike them.
安いからといって、たくさん買う必要はない。Just because it is cheap, there is no need to buy lots of it.
留学したからといって、英語が話せるわけではない。Studying abroad does not automatically mean you can speak English.
子どもだからって、何をしてもいいわけじゃない。Being a child doesn't mean you can do whatever you like.
7 more example sentences
お金があるからといって、幸せだとは限らない。Having money does not necessarily make you happy.
先生だからといって、何でも知っているわけではない。Being a teacher does not mean knowing everything.
寒いからといって、一日中ずっと家にいるのはよくない。Staying in all day just because it is cold is not good.
若いからといって、無理をしてはいけない。Being young is no excuse to overdo it.
少し遅れたからといって、そんなに怒らなくてもいい。There is no need to get so angry just because I was a little late.
近いからといって、便利とは限らない。Being close does not necessarily mean it is convenient.
休みだからって、昼まで寝てちゃだめだよ。Just because it is a holiday doesn't mean you can sleep till noon.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "just because it is expensive does not mean it is good" has "because" in it, and learners keep a plain から. But then the high price becomes the reason the thing is bad. What the speaker rejects is the inference from price to quality, and that needs からといって.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
からといって follows the plain form and takes up a reason — often one somebody has just given, or one that everybody would think of — in order to deny that it leads where it seems to: 高いからといって、いいものとは限らない, "just because it is expensive does not mean it is good".
The second half is almost always negative: とは限らない, "is not necessarily", わけではない, "it is not that", てはいけない, "must not", or a plain negative. The sentence corrects a jump from cause to conclusion.
A noun or a na-adjective takes だ before it: 子どもだからといって, 好きだからといって. In speech it is often shortened to からって: 雨だからって休むな, "don't take the day off just because it is raining".
English "just because … doesn't mean" maps onto it closely, but learners tend to use a plain から and a negative: 高いから、いいものではない. That says the high price is the reason it is bad, which is not the point at all. からといって keeps the reason and rejects only the inference.
A closer look
Why it ends in a negative
The pattern is literally "even if one says: because of A". It quotes a reason — といって is "saying" — and holds it up for inspection. The only thing one can do with a quoted reason in this shape is to deny what it is being used for, which is why the second half is negative.
The most natural partners are the partial negatives: とは限らない and わけではない. They do not claim the opposite, only that the step from A to B is not automatic — exactly the correction the pattern is for.
Worth knowing (1)
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Answering back
In conversation からって often picks up what the other person has just said: 「疲れたから休む。」「疲れたからって、まだ始めたばかりでしょう。」 The speaker grants the reason and refuses the conclusion.
眠いからって、授業中に寝ちゃだめだよ。Being sleepy is no reason to nod off in class.
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