JLPT N1: ～ずにはおかない (will most certainly)

Before you read this lesson, make sure you've read our last N1 lesson on a different meaning of this phrase: [NDL #592] - JLPT N1: ～ずにはおかない (can't help but).

As it is used in this lesson, ～ずにはおかない means something like "will most certainly ~" or "will definitely ~."

Here's an example:

困っている人を見たら助けずにはおかないというのが、彼のポリシーだそうだ。
こまっている　ひと　を　みたら　たすけずにはおかない　と　いう　の　が、　かれ　の　ポリシー　だ　そうだ。
He says that if he sees a person in trouble, he will always help them. It’s one of the rules he lives his life by.
Literally: “is in trouble / is being troubled + person + を + if (he) saw + will most certainly help + という + の + が, + he + の + policy + だ + he says (=そうだ).”

Above I wrote that this ～ずにはおかない means "will most certainly," but more specifically it means "X will not be allowed to go undone." In other words, the speaker is stating that he, she, or someone else will ensure that an action is performed.

In the above sentence, we see that "X will not be allowed to go undone" because of "his" personal policy or rule for behavior. In other cases, "X will not be allowed to go undone" simply because someone feels strongly about something, as in this sentence:

うちの玄関に落書きした奴は誰だ。見つけ出さないではおかないぞ。
うち　の　げんかん　に　らくがき　した　やつ　は　だれ　だ。　みつけださないではおかない　ぞ。
Who the hell wrote graffiti on [around] my front door? I will find you.
Literally: “home + の + entryway + に + graffiti + did + person / guy + は + who + だ. + (I) will definitely find (you) + ぞ.”
Note: 玄関 often refers to the entryway inside of a person's home, but here it is referring to the outside of a home's front entryway/door.

It may help to imagine someone yelling the above sentence in anger while standing out in front of his house.

And just in case you haven't read the last lesson on ～ずにはおかない, note that, as seen above, we can say ～ないでは instead of ～ずには, which is explained in the breakdown below.

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We've already seen how ～ずにはおかない sentences are formed, but here is an overview one more time:

V ない ＋ ずにはおかない
V ない ＋ では ＋ おかない

Exception:
しない → せずにはおかない

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それでも犬のフンを放置する人がいるなら、ペットの飼育自体を禁止しないではおかない。
それでも　いぬ　の　フン　を　ほうち　する　ひと　が　いる　なら、　ペット　の　しいく　じたい　を　きんし　しないではおかない。
If there are still people that are not picking up after their pets (after this), then we will have no choice but to ban pets completely.
Literally: “even so + dog + の + poop + を + leave as is + do + person + が + there are + if (it is the case that), + pet + の + raising / keeping + itself + を + prohibition + will most certainly do / will have no choice but to do.”
Note: This could be something that a housing community's manager is thinking after asking residents to pick up after their pets and placing poop bags around the housing complex.

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もしカナダの人たちがこの記事を読んだら、抗議せずにはおかないだろう。
もし　カナダ　の　ひと　たち　が　この　きじ　を　よんだら、　こうぎ　せずにはおかない　だろう。
If Canadian people read this article, they would most certainly object to it.
Literally: “if + Canada + の + people + が + this + article + を + if read, + objection / protest + would most certainly do + だろう.”

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That's it!

We're not done with grammar points that use ～ず, but we are finished with ～ずにはおかない in particular. Be proud of yourself.