Grammar a Day - Level 1 [ なり (nari) ]

なり (nari) - As soon as

--- Notes ---
Verb(辞書形) + なり

[AなりB] - B is often an unexpected or unusual thing.

--- Examples ---
彼は帰ってくるなり食事もせずに寝てしまいました。
As soon as he got home, he went to bed without eating.

彼はドアを開けるなり、靴をはいたまま部屋に入ってきた。
As soon as he opened the door, he walked in still wearing his shoes.

パーティー会場に入るなり、サムは食べ物めがけて突進した。
As soon as he got to the party, Sam made a bee line for the food.

ファンは、有名人と出くわすなり、彼にサインを求めた。
On encountering the celebrity, the fans asked for his autogaph.

教室に入るなり、先生は突然怒ったような口調で話しはじめた。
On entering the classroom, our teacher burst into angry speech.

入ってくるなり、彼は倒れた。
The instant he came in, he fell down.

--- Comments ---
My book says that this is for a strange or unexpected event.

X スイッチを入れるなり電気がついた。
O スイッチを入れると電気がついた。
O スイッチを入れるなり爆発が起きた。

However, my book says it is only used for Verb(辞書形)+なり, but I
have sometimes seen cases of Verb(た形)+なり from other sources. Does
anyone know which is correct? (contributor: blabby)

Verb(た形)+なり is used in a different way. It implies one movement is
continuing. 〜したまま。
会社を出たなり、いつまでも帰らない。He left the office
and hasn't come back.
彼女を見つめたなり、しばらくの間微動だにしなかった。He
stared at her and didn't move an inch for a while.
You can find better translations. (contributor: Miki)

that sounds like a totally different nari, so i created a new page for it:
[nari2] (contributor: dc)

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Grammar a Day - Level 1 [ せいぜい (seizei) ]

せいぜい (seizei) - my utmost, at most

--- Examples ---
今度は徹夜になりそうだ。今のうちにせいぜい休んでおこう。
It looks like overtime work ahead. For now I will do my utmost to relax.

この仕事だったらせいぜい三日もあればできる。
If it's this type of work, it can be done in about three days at the
outside.

この仕事の完成にせいぜい努力します。
I will exert my best in finishing this work.

あの婦人はせいぜい40歳だ。
The lady is forty years old at most.

ここから歩いてせいぜい10分のところです。
It is no more than ten minutes' walk from here.

この時計はせいぜい10ドルだ。
This watch costs ten dollar at most.

この辞書はせいぜい２万語くらいしか載っていない。
This dictionary contains not more than 20,000 words.

せいぜい20人しかそのパーティーには来ないだろう。
Only twenty people will come to the party at best.

せいぜい40%の高校生しか大学に進学しない。
Not more than 40 percent of students go on to university.

せいぜい自分の能力を活用しなさい。
You should make the most of your ability.

それはせいぜい二流のホテルだ。
It is at best a second-rate hotel.

彼はせいぜい二流の学者だ。
He is at best a second-rate scholar.

--- Comments ---
Note that せいぜい also has the meaning of 'at th emost.' For example,
せいぜい３日もあればできる would mean 'It can be done in about
three days at the very outside,' In this sense it has the meaning similar
to たかだか. (contributor: bamboo4)

'At the very outside'? I don't understand this translation. (contributor:
lupan)

'At the very outside' means 'at the worst'. maybe literally, 'on the
border of what might and might not happen'
-> さいていの場合、三日掛かる。 (contributor: dc)

hmm it would be 最長（さいちょう）instead of
最低（さいてい）.
最長⇔最短（さいたん）、最高（さいこう）⇔最低
(contributor: Miki)

You guys must mean 最悪の場合. You would not say
さいていの場合、三日掛かる but could say
さいてい三日掛かる, which would mean 'takes the minimum of three
days.'The former says that it could be done in less than three days, but
the latter would say it takes three days or more. (contributor: bamboo4)

I thought '最低' also means 'the worst'. We would use it like 'in the
worst case, we will miss the deadline by one day'. ie: you dont expect to,
but... (contributor: dc)

最低 can be 'the worst' but it also could mean 'minimum of' (contributor:
bamboo4)

Does anybody know where a good list of spoken versus writing style words
(as the case seems to be here, with takadaka and seizei) can be found?
(contributor: nks)

I don't think 'at the very outside' is correct English. I guess you mean
'at most'. (contributor: Gaijin demonai)

I guess 'at the very outside' is awkward, but I think 'at the outside'
should be acceptable. (contributor: bamboo4)

While I can't comment on any of the Japanese - 'at the outside' is very
informal in English. It refers to the expression 'an outside chance' (a
term from horseracing). So the first example would be better written: 'If
it's this type of work, there is an outside chance that it can be done in
about three days.' (contributor: andyclap)

I have been told by a native speaker that 'せいぜい' has a certain
ironic or sarcastic tinge to it. It is used in the context of saying that
someone 'did their best', etc. in an ironic way, meaning it could have been
done a bit better. (contributor: somakevin)

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Grammar a Day - Level 1 [ これ以上〜ば (koreijyou-ba) ]

これ以上〜ば (koreijyou-ba) - if ~ any more than this

--- Examples ---
これ以上雨が降れば、川が氾濫してしまう
If it rains any more than this the river will flood.

皆さんからお褒めの言葉を頂きこれ以上の光栄はございません。
Having received many kind compliments from all of you, I cannot feel any
more honored than this.

これ以上待つのは時間の浪費だ。
It's a waste of time to wait any longer.

How much more do I have to lose, before my heart is forgiven? (from 'one
more time, one more chance' by yamasaki masayoshi)
これ以上何を失えば　心は許されるの

--- Comments ---
It doesn't look like examples #3008 or #4042 actually use the grammar
construct. (contributor: Nanashi)

I agree with Nanashi. (contributor: bamboo)

これ以上待てば時間を浪費するばかりだ。 (contributor:
誠)

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Grammar a Day - Level 1 [ 極まりない (kiwamarinai) ]

極まりない (kiwamarinai) - unlimited, extremely, boundlessly

--- Examples ---
その机は、乱雑極まりない状態だ。
The desk is in a state of total disorder.

こんな風は強い日に小型のボートで沖に出るなんて、危険極まりない。
This type of wind, for example sailing offshore on a small boat in a hard
day, is extremely dangerous.

私は、彼の失礼きわまりない態度に我慢ならなかった。
I couldn't get used to his unlimited rudeness.

--- Comments ---
退屈極まり無く (contributor: dc)

極まり無し　adj. (contributor: Miki)

極まりない (adj) is dictionary form (contributor: Miki)

I changed it to level 1 because I founded ex #6877 in
http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/DownloadF/1-all.pdf. (contributor: 赤毛)

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