JLPT N1Written, literary

ともなく・ともなしにwithout really meaning to; from who knows where

Two uses. After a verb: you do it without really meaning to, your mind half elsewhere. After a question word: nobody can say where from, since when, or who began it.

after a verb

窓まどの外そとを見みるともなく見みていると、一いち羽わの鳥とりが電でん線せんに降おりた。

I was gazing idly out of the window when a bird came down on the power line.

after a question word

どこからともなく、焼やきたてのパンの香かおりが漂ただよってきた。

From somewhere, who knows where, came the smell of freshly baked bread.

After a verb

見みる + ともなく／ともなしに + 見みる

A dictionary form, then usually the same verb again. It is a verb of looking, listening or some other simple act: 見みる, 聞きく, 眺ながめる, 読よむ, 考かんがえる. The two endings mean the same.

After a question word

どこ／いつ／誰だれ + particle + ともなく

The particle comes before と: どこからともなく, いつからともなく, 誰だれからともなく.

Where you'll meet it: Novels and essays. It is for reading.
In conversation: With a verb, なんとなく見みていた or ぼんやり聞きいていた. For the question-word phrases, どこからか, いつの間まにか.

After a verb: without really meaning to

The looking or listening does happen. What is missing is the aim: nothing in particular is being looked at or listened for. It often sets the scene for something that then catches the eye or the ear.

聞きくともなしにラジオを聞きいていたら、故ふる郷さとの地ち名めいが流ながれてきた。

I had the radio on and was only half listening when the name of my home town came up.

読よむともなく雑ざっ誌しをめくっていると、一いち枚まいの写しゃ真しんが目めに留とまった。

I was leafing through a magazine, not really reading, when a photograph caught my eye.

The second verb can be another word for the same act.

After a question word: from who knows where

These are fixed phrases, and the set is all but closed. どこからともなく is much the commonest.

どこからともなくfrom somewhere, who knows where

どこからともなく、かすかなピアノの音おとが聞きこえてきた。

From somewhere came the faint sound of a piano.

どこへともなくto nowhere in particular

どこへともなく歩あるき出だし、気きづけば川かわ辺べに立たっていた。

I set off for nowhere in particular and, before I knew it, was standing by the river.

いつからともなくsince nobody knows when

いつからともなく、庭にわに一いっ匹ぴきの白しろい猫ねこが現あらわれるようになった。

At some point, I couldn't say when, a white cat began turning up in the garden.

誰だれからともなくno one could say who first

誰だれからともなく拍はく手しゅが起おこり、やがて会かい場じょう全ぜん体たいに広ひろがった。

Someone started clapping, no one could say who, and soon the whole hall had joined in.

誰だれにともなくto no one in particular

彼かの女じょは誰だれにともなく「寒さむいね」とつぶやいた。

"Cold, isn't it," she murmured, to no one in particular.

Also with the verb in: 誰だれに言いうともなく.

Also どちらからともなく, of two people: neither one first.

Close neighbours

ずにN3

"Without doing": the act doesn't take place. 見みずに is "without looking"; with 見みるともなく you do look, only with no aim.

彼かの女じょは何なにも言いわずに部屋へやを出でた。

She left the room without saying anything.

Check yourself

1Was she listening?

母ははは聞きくともなしに、隣となりの席せきの会かい話わを聞きいていた。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What does this mean?

二人ふたりはどちらからともなく笑わらい出だした。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

湯ゆ船ぶねにつかりながら、考かんがえるともなしに昔むかしのことを考かんがえていた。

Soaking in the bath, I found myself thinking idly about the old days.

歩あるくともなく歩あるいているうちに、古ふるい映えい画が館かんの前まえに出でた。

I was wandering with nowhere in mind when I came out in front of an old movie theater.

誰だれからともなく笑わらい声ごえが上あがり、張はり詰つめた空くう気きがほどけた。

Someone laughed, no one could say who first, and the tension in the room melted away.