Decoded Slug: ～と言わんばかりに (〜to iwan bakari ni)
Japanese JLPT Grammar Point
～と言わんばかりに (〜to iwan bakari ni)
～と言わんばかりに (〜to iwan bakari ni)
Short explanation:
Indicates an action or behavior that strongly implies a certain unspoken message or feeling.
Formation:
Verb-volitional + と言わんばかりに, い-Adjective + と言わんばかりに, な-Adjective + だと言わんばかりに, Noun + だと言わんばかりに
Examples:
彼女は優勝したと言わんばかりに笑った。
Kanojo wa yuushou shita to iwanbakari ni waratta.
She laughed as if to say she won.
彼は倒れると言わんばかりの疲労感があった。
Kare wa taoreru to iwanbakari no hiroukan ga atta.
He looked almost as though stating he's going to collapse from fatigue.
彼女は私に晴れて欲しいと言わんばかりに、雨の日を恐れていました。
Kanojo wa watashi ni harete hoshii to iwanbakari ni, ame no hi o osorete imashita.
She was afraid of rainy days, almost as though stating she wanted me to be sunny.
彼の行動は、誰にも信じてもらえないと言わんばかりだった。
Kare no koudou wa, dare ni mo shinjite moraenai to iwanbakari datta.
His behavior was as if to say he can't trust anyone.
Long explanation:
The ～と言わんばかりに grammar point is used to express that someone's action or behavior is so strong that it's as if they are saying something without actually saying it. It can be translated as 'as if to say' or 'almost as though stating' in English. This form is often used when the speaker wants to express a strong speculation about someone's unvoiced thoughts or feelings based on their behavior.
