ともなく / ともなしに

somehow, without knowing, without thinking, unconsciously, absentmindedly, mindlessly

AI-generated

Structure

[verb (dictionary form)] + ともなく + [same verb] [verb (dictionary form)] + ともなしに + [same verb] [question word] + (から / へ) + ともなく

Description

ともなく puts the dictionary form of a verb before it and the same verb after it, and says you did it without meaning to or without paying attention: "idly", "half-", "without really". ともなしに means the same.

、。

I was watching TV without really paying attention, when an interesting news story came on.

。

I was overhearing the conversation next to me without meaning to.

。

I found myself thinking about the past.

The verbs are mostly ones of seeing, hearing and thinking: みる見る, きく聞く, かんがえる考える, まつ待つ. With a question word as the object, the verb need not repeat, and the meaning becomes "not doing anything in particular".

、。

I stayed home all day without doing anything in particular.

。

I walked around the city with no particular destination in mind.

With a question word alone

, and (or ) say the source or the time can't be pinned down: "from somewhere", "nobody in particular", "at some point".

。

A sweet smell drifted in from somewhere.

。

Applause started from no one in particular.

。

Before they knew it, the two had drifted apart.

ともなく belongs to novels and essays. In conversation, なんとなく or ぼんやり covers the first use: なんとなくてれびテレビをみていた見ていた.

Examples

。

I was gazing out the window without really looking at anything.

、。

I was listening to the radio absentmindedly when a nostalgic song came on.

。

A cat appeared from out of nowhere.

、。

Without knowing when, that habit had become part of me.

。

I was thinking about the past without really meaning to.

。

Applause started from no one in particular.

、。

I stayed home all day without doing anything in particular.

、。

When I looked up at the sky without really paying attention, I saw a shooting star.

。

I walked around the city with no particular destination in mind.

。

Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with her.

、。

I was waiting without really waiting, and the bus finally came.

、。

I was idly flipping through a magazine when I came across a photo of an old friend.

References

ともなく-ともなしにBunpro

とも～とも

ともなると / にもなると