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JLPT N3Expressions

～として— In The Capacity Of

Attaches to a noun to indicate a role, status, capacity, or standpoint: 'as ~'. It frames the following statement from the perspective of that position or category. It can also mean 'in the qualification of' or 'considered as'.

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Pro lessonUNIT 55 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Noun] + として

Examples · 例文

  • 留学生として日本に来ました。

    Ryuugakusei to shite Nihon ni kimashita.

    I came to Japan as an exchange student.

    として marks 留学生 as the capacity in which the person came.

  • 彼は医者として尊敬されている。

    Kare wa isha to shite sonkei sarete iru.

    He is respected as a doctor.

    として frames the respect specifically from his role as a doctor.

  • この城は観光地として有名です。

    Kono shiro wa kankouchi to shite yuumei desu.

    This castle is famous as a tourist spot.

    として identifies the category (tourist spot) in which it is famous.

Usage notes · 注意

  • として + は adds emphasis or contrast ('as for in the role of ~').
  • 私としては means 'as for me / from my standpoint'.
  • Register: neutral; frequent in both speech and writing.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～として is tested against.

vs～にとって

にとって means 'for ~ (from the viewpoint of what matters to them)', while として means 'in the role/capacity of ~'.

vs～として（「一日として…ない」）

In fixed negative phrases like 一日として…ない, として emphasizes 'not even one (single) ~', a distinct usage from the ordinary 'as a role/capacity' meaning here.

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