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JLPT N2Expressions

～として／としては— In the Capacity Of

Marks the standpoint, role, capacity, or category from which something is viewed or done, meaning 'as' or 'in the role of'. としては adds a contrastive or subjective nuance, presenting a particular viewpoint. Commonly used to define the position someone speaks or acts from.

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Pro lessonUNIT 39 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Noun] + として / としては

Examples · 例文

  • 彼は医者として、多くの命を救ってきた。

    Kare wa isha to shite, ooku no inochi wo sukutte kita.

    As a doctor, he has saved many lives.

    医者 + として defines the role from which he acts.

  • 私としては、この案に賛成です。

    Watashi to shite wa, kono an ni sansei desu.

    As for me, I'm in favor of this proposal.

    私 + としては presents a personal, contrastive viewpoint.

  • この映画は子供向けとしては少し怖い。

    Kono eiga wa kodomo muke to shite wa sukoshi kowai.

    As something aimed at children, this movie is a bit scary.

    子供向け + としては evaluates it from the standpoint of that category.

Usage notes · 注意

  • として = 'in the capacity/role/category of'.
  • としては adds a subjective or contrastive nuance ('as for ~, from ~'s standpoint').
  • Often precedes evaluations or opinions.

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／としては is tested against.

vsにとって

にとって means 'for / from the perspective of' regarding what matters to someone, while として means 'in the role/capacity of' a category.

vsとして (all-negation)

In 一人として...ない it means 'not even one', a different set usage, whereas the role-marking として simply defines a standpoint.

More expressions

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