At a glance
Noun A もさることながら Noun B も means "A, of course, but B too", or "not only A but also B". A is accepted as good or important, and B gets the stronger emphasis. It is a formal expression, mostly used in writing and speeches.
Noun A もさることながら、Noun B も [evaluation]。
このレストランは料理の味もさることながら、店員の対応もすばらしい。 At this restaurant, the food is great of course, but the staff's service is also wonderful.
How to form it
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + もさることながら | 値段もさることながら |
| Noun + の + noun | Noun phrase + もさることながら | 料理の味もさることながら |
| い-adj / な-adj | Change to a noun first (安い → 安さ) | 部屋の広さもさることながら |
| Register | Formal, written, speeches | Sounds stiff in casual talk |
The second noun usually takes も, followed by an evaluation such as すばらしい or 大切だ.