At a glance
Noun ともあろう Noun means "for someone who is [a respected role], of all people". It criticizes or questions behavior that does not fit the person's status.
Noun1 ＋ ともあろう ＋ Noun2 (者 / 人 / 方 / 人物) ＋ が、～
警察官ともあろう者が、法律を破るとは。 For a police officer, of all people, to break the law!
How to form it
ともあろう is a fixed expression. It does not conjugate.
| Part | What goes here | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun1 | A role or status people expect a lot from | 教師, 警察官, 大学教授 |
| ともあろう | Fixed form, comes right after Noun1 | 教師ともあろう |
| Noun2 | Usually a generic word for a person, such as 者, 人, 方 or 人物, referring to the same individual as Noun1 | 教師ともあろう者 |
| が | The whole phrase is usually the subject of the sentence | 教師ともあろう者が |
It attaches to nouns only, not to verbs or adjectives. The register is formal, mostly written or serious speech.