This is a question from ドリル＆ドリル 日本語能力試験 N1文法。The answer is 4, but I don’t understand what is wrong with 3.
結果は(answer)、全力を尽くしたことは認めよう。
- ともなれば
- ともすると
- ともかく
- ともあれ
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https://ja.hinative.com/questions/19346146
This post seems to answer your question - I would also have not been able to answer that practice question…
「ともかく」は、様々な意見や考え方があり、何が良いか悪いかなどはよくわからないが、そういうのはもう置いておいて次に進む、という時に使います。
「ともあれ」は、様々な問題点や心配事があったが、結果的に良い方向に進みそうだったり、良い結果が出たという時に使います。
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I spent some time trying to see if I could get anything from dictionaries, but I’m not really sure they help much. I’ll post what I found anyways, but I’m not 100% sure my conclusion is correct because ともあれ and ともかく seem to be so closely related it’s hard to really know from a definition standpoint.
There's one thing that stands out when looking through both definitions - ともあれ contains this while ともかく doesn't:
旺文社国語辞典 第十一版
いろいろな事情はあるにしても。とにかく。「何は―出発しよう」
大辞林 第三版
①名詞に付いて，「いろいろ…はあるにしても」「…はともかくとして」の意を表す。
My interpretation from this is that ともあれ is used in situations where you want to (first) acknowledge that whatever it is you’re talking about has multiple outcomes, and you recognize that. However, ともかく seems to be more concerned with setting something aside completely and not acknowledging what situations may occur in regards to it.
So in the case of 結果はともあれ、全力を尽くしたことは認めよう the person is saying "Hey, I acknowledge that the result could be good, bad (or whatever the result may be), but let’s recognize that we tried our hardest.
On the other hand, using ともかく here would basically be saying ‘Setting aside the results (not recognizing the different situations in relation to what results there could be), let’s recognize that we tried our hardest’. The difference here being that it’s completely setting aside 結果 and moving on to the next thing, while ともあれ takes some time to acknowledge different situations that could occur, then setting them aside.
So to maybe answer your question, I think the reason why 4 would be the better choice in this case (why 3 wouldn’t be used in a situation like this) is because what follows (what matters is we tried our best) actually depends on the situation that occurs – if we got a good result, hey that’s great but what matters really is that we did our best. If we got a bad result, that’s tough, but you know what, what matters is we did our best. With ともかく you don’t get this, which is why I think ともあれ is used.
Once again I’m not sure if this is the right conclusion or not, but maybe someone can correct me or let me know what they think.
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So I have just asked three coworkers (natives) and they all said 3. I also would have said 3, purely because it is more common. They all said that they don’t really know what the difference would be.
The difference that the hinative post and @josh mentioned is borne out in the etymologies but I an reticent to put too much weight on etymology as a source for meaning.
@Disconn3cted, if you can find some more solid explanation specifically for the question in that drill book then I’d love to know what it is since this truly seems like an impossible question.
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I’m pretty sure Josh’s answer is along the right lines. Basically, 3. conveys that you are ignoring the previous thing (i.e.: ignoring the outcomes completely), and 4. conveys that you are considering various aspects (e.g.: good outcomes and bad outcomes) of the previous thing before moving on.
However, I personally had no idea what would be so wrong with simply ignoring the outcomes and acknowledging everyone’s efforts. After putting this thread into GPT-4 and having several back-and-forths, I finally asked it, “Why is it wrong to completely set aside the outcomes and acknowledge everyone’s efforts, instead of acknowledging the efforts in each possible situation that the outcome could find itself in?”
The answer I got back finally made sense. I think it has to do with how empathetic you sound. In other words, it seems to be more of a cultural thing. Here’s what GPT-4 said, and the second and last points were the ones that resonated the most with me:
GPT-4’s Answer
Your question touches on a subtle but important aspect of language and communication, especially in a nuanced language like Japanese. The choice between “ともかく” and “ともあれ” in a sentence is not just about grammatical correctness, but also about the speaker’s intent and the nuances they wish to convey.
In the context of the sentence “結果は(answer)、全力を尽くしたことは認めよう。” (Regarding the result, let’s acknowledge that we did our best.), using “ともあれ” is more appropriate because:
- Acknowledgment of Reality: “ともあれ” subtly acknowledges the reality of the situation, including the outcome, before shifting focus to the effort. It implies a holistic view of the situation, recognizing both the result and the effort. This can be particularly important in cultures or contexts where acknowledging the reality or showing awareness of all aspects of a situation is valued.
- Contextual Sensitivity: In many situations, especially those involving teamwork or collective effort, it can be more sensitive or tactful to acknowledge the outcome (whether it’s good or bad) before focusing on the effort. This approach can be seen as more empathetic or considerate, as it doesn’t dismiss the end result, which might be important to some people involved.
- Implicit Encouragement: By acknowledging the result first, “ともあれ” provides a kind of validation for the effort, regardless of the outcome. It’s a way of saying, “No matter what happened, our effort still matters,” which can be more encouraging and inclusive.
On the other hand, using “ともかく” to completely set aside the outcomes might come across as dismissive of the results, which could be important for evaluation, learning, or emotional closure, especially in a collective setting. It could imply a lack of concern for the consequences or results, focusing only on the effort, which might not be the intended message, especially in a culture that values harmony and the acknowledgment of all aspects of a situation.
In summary, while it’s not grammatically wrong to use “ともかく,” the choice of “ともあれ” in this context reflects a more nuanced and considerate approach, acknowledging all aspects of the situation before shifting the focus to the effort made.
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I spoke with natives about this question even further after my initial responses in this thread and the conclusion was that the difference in nuance here is not important. Besides the reasons myself and josh already mentioned in this thread (read the etymology page I linked) another possible reason for the answer is there is a fairly common collocation 何はともあれ which may be fitting here and therefore ともあれ fits by association. The two older people I asked as well actually said the answer was 4 and not 3 (contrary to the initial people I asked who were all younger). Still, the “correct” nuance here came down to the person I asked so I am still of the opinion that this is a bad drill question to begin with.
I could be wrong since I don’t really use chatbots but I think the answer you got from GPT was just pulled out of thin air as you forced it to answer with a specific nuance from the way you questioned it. You got the answer you were already looking for, basically. All that stuff about keeping harmony etc is random guff as far as I can tell. It sounds like a 13 year old trying to fill a word count on their homework. Maybe I am showing myself as too much of a luddite here…
I definitely feel that when I use GPT 3.5, but with GPT 4 I rarely feel like that’s the case. For instance, at first I just pasted the original question, and it ended up explaining what Josh explained right away (ignoring vs. acknowledging the previous clause), so it did seem to put forth genuine knowledge on its own without my goading. Oh and with with 3.5, it said ともかく was correct (even though the question directly tells it the correct answer LOL)
As for 何はともあれ, when I looked up “はともあれ” on Tatoeba, all examples were simply 何はともあれ, so that does seem to be the default. I almost wonder if somehow the question’s structural similarity to this common collocation is the only reason why it should feel like the correct answer according to whoever made the question lol