日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N3

~てからでないと

~te kara de nai to

unless... first

When to use it

Use ~てからでないと to state that some action is a prerequisite: without doing A first, B is impossible, difficult, or unwise. The second clause must be negative or express inability/difficulty (できません, 難しい, わかりかねます), so it is common in business for deferring decisions, declining on-the-spot answers, and setting conditions in negotiation. In writing and formal speech, ~てからでなければ is the stiffer variant; ~てからじゃないと is the casual spoken one.

Formation

  • Verbs: て-form + からでないと (確認してからでないと)
  • Nouns: N + を + してからでないと / N + がなくては(の類義) — the pattern itself needs a verb, so nouns appear as N+を+する (承認をもらってからでないと)
  • i-adjectives / na-adjectives: not used directly; rephrase with a verb (安くなってからでないと)
  • Main clause: must be negative or express impossibility — ~できません, ~かねます, ~は難しい, ~わけにはいかない
  • Variants: ~てからでなければ (formal/written), ~てからじゃないと (casual spoken)

Examples

  • We can't place the order unless we get the director's approval first.

  • I'm afraid I can't reply until I've seen the quote.

  • The cause can't be identified without first checking the site.

  • I can't sign until I've looked over the contract.

  • We can't decide until we've heard everyone's opinion.