JLPT N1: ～ようと～まいと (regardless of whether ~)

We just studied ～ようが～まいが in our last N1 lesson, yeah?

Well, good news for you: ～ようと～まいと is essentially the same thing. It is used when expressing the meaning of "regardless of ~" or "whether or not~."

An example:

私がお酒を飲もうと飲むまいと、あなたには関係ないでしょう。
わたし　が　おさけ　を　のもうと　のむまいと、　あなた　に　は　かんけい　ない　でしょう。
It’s none of your business whether or not I drink (alcohol). // Whether or not I drink (alcohol) has nothing to do with you.
Literally: “I + が + alcohol + を + whether or not (I) drink, + you + に + は + relation / connection + there isn’t + でしょう.”

 

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👷 Construction 👷

This, too, is the same as we saw for ～ようが～まいが. Since the patterns can be a bit confusing, though, I'll introduce them once more.

Don't forget that before tackling this lesson you should have no problem putting verbs into volitional form (＝Vよう).

In ～ようと～まいと constructions, you'll see two patterns:「Vる ＋ まいと」and「Vない ＋ まいと」(←まい is attaching to the stem of a plain present negative verb). The second of these can only occur with ichidan [Type II] or irregular [Type III (e.g. 来る)] verbs.

So, in general:

V よう ＋ と ＋ V る ＋ まいと


Sometimes with ichidan or irregular verbs:

V よう ＋ と ＋ V ない ＋ まいと


Here's an example of the latter (with the irregular verb 来る):

キャプテンが来ようと来まいと、練習は行われます。
キャプテン　が　こようと　こまいと、　れんしゅう　は　おこなわれます。
We have practice regardless of whether the (team) captain is present.
Literally: “captain + が + whether or not (he) comes, + practice + は + is held / takes place.”


来る（くる // to come）
↓
来ない（こない // not come）
↓
来まい（こまい // not come）

 

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Here is an ichidan [Type II] verb being using in the pattern「V よう ＋ が ＋ V ない ＋ まいが」：

君たちが納得出来ようと出来まいと、もう決まったことなのだ。
きみ　たち　が　なっとく　できようと　できまいと、　もう　きまった　こと　なのだ。
It doesn’t matter whether or not you (all) agree to it. It’s been decided.
Literally: “you ([plural]) + が + consent / agreement / understanding + whether or not (you) can do, + already + was decided + こと + なのだ.”

 

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 Irregular Alert! 

For the verb する, don't be thrown off too much if you see すまい instead of するまい or しまい.

So, this is OK:

試験に合格しようとするまいと、今までの勉強が無駄になるわけではない。
しけん　に　ごうかく　しようと　するまいと、　いままで　の　べんきょう　が　むだ　に　なる　わけではない。
Regardless of whether or not you pass the test, your studies up until now will not have been for nothing.
Literally: “text / exam + に + passing (a test) + whether or not (you) do, + now + until + の + studies + が + be for nothing (=pointless / worthless + に + become) + it does not mean that / it is not the case that (=わけではない).”


...and so is this:

試験に合格しようとすまいと、今までの勉強が無駄になるわけではない。
しけん　に　ごうかく　しようと　すまいと、　いままで　の　べんきょう　が　むだ　に　なる　わけではない。
Regardless of whether or not you pass the test, your studies up until now will not have been for nothing.
Literally: “text / exam + に + passing (a test) + whether or not (you) do, + now + until + の + studies + が + be for nothing (=pointless / worthless + に + become) + it does not mean that / it is not the case that (=わけではない).”

 

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Finished!