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Grammar detail: ことはない

ことはない
there is no need to, never happens
154 words
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plain form clause
+
ことはない
means
there is no need to ~, ~ never happens
The plain form clause can be a verb (typically in the present tense):
じぶん
自分
を
せ
責
める
ことはない。
You don't have to kick yourself.
ね
寝
てしまった
からといって、
わる
悪
く
おも
思
う
ことはないのよ。
There's no need to feel bad just because you fell asleep.
Or an い adjective:
は
晴
れた
ひ
日
に
はピクニックに
い
行
く
ほど
たの
楽
しい
ことはない。
Nothing is so pleasant as going on a picnic on a fine day.
Or a な adjective with な:
これ
いじょう
以上
に
ふゆかい
不愉快
な
ことはない。
There is no more disagreeable thing than this.
This construction is similar to ことがない, and in many cases they are interchangeable. ことがない is usually used with a past tense verb (to mean 'has not happened' rather than 'never happens'), and although it is not wrong to use ことはない with a past tense verb, it is less common.
If the clause containing こと~ない is itself the subject of a larger sentence which would be marked with the subject marker が, it would be preferable to use は to avoid repetition of が:
きょうと
京都
に
い
行
った
ことはないが、
なら
奈良
には
なんど
何度
か
い
行
った
。
I've never been to Kyoto, but I've been to Nara several times.
The ことはない form is often used as part of two common set phrases, そんなことはない (that's not the case) and 大したことはない (that's not important):
かのじょ
彼女
に
かぎ
限
って
そんなことはない。
She, of all people, wouldn't do such a thing.
ひとり
一人
くらい
ふ
増
えて
も
へ
減
って
もたいしたことはない。
One person more or less doesn't make much difference.
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Kanji used in this grammar

大
ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
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自
ジ   シ   みずから self   
分
ブン   ブ   フン   わける to divide, to distinguish   わかる to understand   わかれる to be divided   わかつ to share, distribute   
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責
セキ   せめる to torture; to blame, accuse   
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寝
シン   ねかす to lay down   ねる to sleep, to lie down   
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悪
アク   オ   わるい bad   
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思
シ   おもう to think   
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晴
セイ   はれる to clear up   はらす to dispel, to clear away   
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日
ニチ   ジツ   sun; day   ひ    -か    
行
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆく    いく to go   おこなう to take place   
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楽
ガク   ラク    music   たのしい happy, pleasant   たのしむ to be happy   
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以
イ    (prefix) or   
上
ジョウ   ショウ   うえ above   うわ- above   あげる to raise   あがる to rise   かみ first half, upper part   のぼる to climb   のぼせる to bring up, to raise   のぼす to bring up   
不
フ   ブ    not   
愉
ユ    pleasure   
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快
カイ   こころよい comfortable, pleasant, refreshing   
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京
キョウ   ケイ    capital   
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都
ト   ツ   みやこ capital city, metropolis   
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奈
ナ    Nara   
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良
リョウ   よい good   
何
カ   なに    なん what?   
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度
ド   ト   タク   degree   たび occasion, time   
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彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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女
ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
限
ゲン   かぎる to limit, restrict   
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一
イチ   イツ   ひとつ    ひと- one   
人
ジン   ニン   ひと person   
増
ゾウ   ます to increase/grow   ふえる to increase/multiply   ふやす to increase/augment   
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減
ゲン   へる become less   へらす reduce   
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