JLPT N1Spoken and writtenEarnest

あってのonly thanks to; that exists because of

The second thing exists only because the first does: no customers, no business. People say it to give credit, and to remind someone what comes first.

お客きゃく様さまあっての商しょう売ばいです。

We are only in business because of our customers.

家か族ぞくの支ささえがあっての今いまの私わたしです。

I am who I am today only because of my family's support.

How to form it

Noun A（が）+ あっての + noun B

A is what B rests on. が often drops. It stays あって, not いて, even when A is a person.

A, before it: What everything rests on: お客きゃく様さま, 健けん康こう, 命いのち, 家か族ぞくの支ささえ, 信しん頼らい, 皆みなさんの協きょう力りょく.
B, after it: A noun. When B has already been named, こと or もの stands in for it: …があってのことです.
Tone: Earnest: thanks in a speech, a firm's motto, a word to someone who is overdoing it.
Where you'll meet it: Speeches, interviews, business talk, essays. People say it as well as write it.

In use

健けん康こうあっての仕し事ごとだから、無む理りはしないでください。

You can only work if you have your health, so please don't overdo it.

この品ひん質しつは、熟じゅく練れんの技ぎ術じゅつあってのものです。

Quality like this is only possible with years of skill behind it.

危あぶないと思おもったら、すぐ逃にげろ。命いのちあっての物もの種だねだ。

If it looks dangerous, get out at once. You can't do anything once you're dead.

A proverb: everything else depends on being alive.

Before a clause it is あってこそ

A noun has to follow あっての. When a whole clause follows, it becomes があってこそ.

皆みなさんの協きょう力りょくがあっての成せい功こうです。

This success exists only because of everyone's help.

A noun follows: 成せい功こう.

皆みなさんの協きょう力りょくがあってこそ、成せい功こうできました。

It is only thanks to everyone's help that we succeeded.

A clause follows: 成せい功こうできました.

Close neighbours

てこそN2

"Only by doing", after any verb. あってこそ is one case of it.

毎まい日にち使つかってこそ、外がい国こく語ごは自じ分ぶんのものになる。

Only by using a foreign language every day can you make it your own.

おかげでN3

"Thanks to": credit for one good result. あっての says more: without A there would be no B at all.

知ち人じんの紹しょう介かいのおかげで、契けい約やくできました。

Thanks to an introduction from someone I know, we got the contract.

なくして（は）N1

The same claim turned around, in formal writing: without A, no B.

相そう互ごの信しん頼らいなくしては、真しんの対たい話わは成せい立りつしない。

Without mutual trust, there can be no real dialogue.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

読どく者しゃあっての作さっ家かだ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

仲なか間まの助たすけが（　　）、最さい後ごまで走はしり切きれた。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

今こん回かいの成せい功こうは、皆みなさんの協きょう力りょくがあってのことです。

This success was only possible because of everyone's help.

選せん手しゅあっての監かん督とくだということを忘わすれてはいけない。

We must not forget that there is no manager without the players.

長なが年ねんの信しん頼らいがあっての契けい約やくです。

This contract rests on years of trust.

平へい和わがあっての経けい済ざい発はっ展てんです。

There is no economic growth without peace.

互たがいの信しん頼らいがあっての協きょう力りょく関かん係けいです。

We can only work together because each side trusts the other.