はもちろん
Not only but also, Let alone, Not to mention, Of course
Structure
(1) さえ
Explanation
The phrase はもちろん, which may also be written with kanji as は勿論, is used to establish (A) as an expected or obvious fact, while then introducing (B) as another point that is also true. In this structure, the adverbial particle は singles out (A) as a topic, and the adverb もちろん 'of course' or 'naturally' confirms it. The sentence then proceeds to introduce (B) as additional information worthy of attention.
はもちろん attaches directly to noun (A), and is then followed by a clause that discusses noun (B). This construction can be expressed in English as 'A, of course, but also B', 'to say nothing of A, B', or more commonly as 'not only (A), but also (B)'.
- 東京のことはもちろん、他の観光地のことならなんでも聞いてください。Please ask me anything about tourist spots, not just about Tokyo.
- 英語はもちろん、複数の言語を同時に教えられる先生が必要だ。We need a teacher who can teach multiple languages at once, not just English.
In most sentences using this pattern, (B) is presented as having a similar quality to (A). For this reason, the particle も is very frequently placed after (B) to highlight this shared characteristic.
- 彼はピアノはもちろん、バイオリンも弾くことができます。He can play not only the piano, but the violin as well.
- この町は食べ物はもちろん、景色もきれいだから有名です。This town is famous not just for its food, but also for its beautiful scenery.
Caution
While its meaning is very close to that of だけでなく, はもちろん carries a more formal nuance. Consequently, it can come across as somewhat rigid in casual conversation, unless the speaker is trying to make a particularly strong point.
Examples
このラーメン屋はラーメンはもちろん、餃子も絶品だ。
This ramen shop has not only great ramen, but also exceptional gyoza.
彼女はピアノはもちろん、ギターも弾ける。
She can play not only the piano, but also the guitar.
このカメラは写真はもちろん、動画も撮れる。
This camera can take not only photos, but also videos.
彼は漢字はもちろん、ひらがなさえ書けない。
Not only kanji, he can't even write hiragana.
田中さんは外見はもちろん、性格も素敵だ。
Tanaka-san has not only a great appearance, but also a wonderful personality.
京都では、お寺や神社はもちろん、おしゃれなカフェも楽しめる。
In Kyoto, you can enjoy not only temples and shrines, but also trendy cafes.
夏の暑さはもちろん、湿度の高さも苦手だ。
I'm bad with not only the summer heat, but also the high humidity.
うちの猫は家族はもちろん、お客さんにもなつく。
Our cat is friendly not only with family, but also with guests.
このアプリは、日本語はもちろん、様々な言語に対応している。
This app supports not only Japanese, but also a variety of other languages.
子どもは、アニメを見ることはもちろん、アニメの絵を描くことも好きだ。
My child likes not only watching anime, but also drawing pictures of it.
留学は、語学力はもちろん、異文化理解も深まる。
Studying abroad deepens not only your language skills, but also your understanding of different cultures.
成功した時はもちろん、失敗した時もそばにいてくれるのが本当の友達だ。
A true friend is someone who is by your side not only when you succeed, but also when you fail.