日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N2

~に限らず

~ni kagirazu

not limited to

When to use it

Use ~に限らず in reports, proposals, and announcements to state that something applies beyond an obvious or expected case — "not just X, but also Y." It is a written/formal counterpart to ~だけでなく, and typically sets up a broader scope in the following clause (often marked by も). Reach for it when you want to preempt a narrow reading of your claim, e.g. showing an issue is industry-wide rather than company-specific.

Formation

  • Noun + に限らず — the standard and by far most common pattern: 当社に限らず / 若手に限らず
  • Question word + noun for sweeping scope: 何も/どの部署に限らず (less common; usually rephrased with を問わず)
  • Verbs / adjectives: not attached directly. Nominalize first — 値上げすること/値上げするもの + に限らず, or use ~だけでなく instead
  • Na-adjective / i-adjective: not used; convert to a noun (安いもの/不便な点 + に限らず)
  • The second clause normally carries も or 全〜: ~に限らず、Bも…/~に限らず、全社で…
  • Written form 限らず derives from 限る; the sentence-final variant is ~に限らない (この問題は当社に限らない)

Examples

  • This issue isn't limited to our company; it's a challenge for the whole industry.

  • The training is not just for junior staff—managers are included as well.

  • The price increases extend beyond raw materials to logistics costs.

  • The minutes will be shared with every department, not only attendees.

  • Not just in peak season—inquiries are trending up year-round.