1.
it goes without saying; needless to say; obviously
An adverbial expression used to introduce something the speaker considers self-evident or universally understood. Literally 'without even needing to say it.'
言うまでもなく大切なことだ。
It goes without saying that this is important.
Literally 'without it reaching the point of saying' — composed of 言う (to say) + まで (until) + も (even) + なく (without). Expresses that something is so obvious it does not need to be stated.
Forms
- 言うまでもなく — adverbial form, used mid-sentence
- 言うまでもない — predicate form, used at the end of a clause
- 言うまでもないことだが — 'this is obvious, but...' (used to preface something)
Common patterns
- 言うまでもなく、〜 — Needless to say, ...
- 〜は言うまでもない — ... goes without saying
- 〜は言うまでもなく、〜も — not only ..., but also ...
Similar words
- もちろん — of course; less formal, used in everyday speech
- むろん — of course; literary variant of もちろん
- 当然 — naturally; focuses on logical expectation rather than rhetorical emphasis
Register
Somewhat formal. Common in writing, speeches, and structured arguments. In casual speech, もちろん is more natural.