といわず～といわず | Grammar

Structure

[Noun A] + といわず + [Noun B] + といわず

A and B are typically related or contrasting items representing a whole (e.g. 手/足, 昼/夜, 平日/休日)

Description

The structure なうんnoun ああるA + といわず + なうんnoun bB + といわず is used to express that something applies to both A and B without distinction – meaning "whether it's A or B," "not just A or B, but both (and everything in between)." It emphasizes that the action or state covers all cases, not limited to the specific nouns mentioned.

A and B are typically related or contrasting items that together represent the whole of something. The implication is that whatever follows applies everywhere or to everything, not selectively.

、だっ。

Both hands and feet – everything was covered in mud.

、。

Whether day or night, the phone keeps ringing.

Nuance

This pattern has a slightly literary or emphatic tone compared to more colloquial ways of saying "both A and B." It often carries an overtone of excess or thoroughness – the situation is so pervasive that you cannot single out just one part. The sentence that follows typically describes something remarkable, extreme, or noteworthy.

Comparison with ～も～も

While ああるAもbBも simply states "both A and B," といわず～といわず adds the nuance that the distinction between A and B doesn't even matter because the whole situation is affected. It is more emphatic and dramatic.

、。

Weekdays or holidays – he's always in the lab.

Usage notes

The two nouns should be related pairs (e.g., hands/feet, day/night, weekdays/holidays, inside/outside).
The overall sentence typically ends with a statement about a pervasive or extreme condition.
This is a formal/literary expression most commonly encountered in written Japanese or formal speech.

Examples

、。

My hands, my feet – everywhere, I've been bitten by mosquitoes and the itching is unbearable.

、。

Whether day or night, the construction noise is loud.

、。

Weekdays or weekends, that shop is always crowded.

、。

Whether in the mountains or by the rivers, trash has been dumped everywhere.

、だっ。

Face, body – everything was drenched in sweat.

、。

Domestically and internationally alike, his works are highly regarded.

、。

The floor, the walls – the child scribbled with crayons everywhere.

、。

Whether spring or autumn, flowers bloom in this garden.

、。

My arms, my back – everything turned bright red from sunburn.

、。

In cities and in the countryside alike, the aging population problem is serious.

References

Whether It Be or ～といい～といわずimabi.org