刑事けいじが一ひ人とりならまだしも、機動きどう隊たいまで出でてくるなんて、話はなしが違ちがうじゃねえか。
One detective, I could deal with, but the whole riot squad showin’ up? This wasn’t the plan.

This grammar pattern is used to contrast two things, expressing that the first thing (A) might be acceptable or understandable, but the second thing (B) is definitely not acceptable, reasonable, or is going too far.

It’s like sayin’, “A is one thing, I can maybe get with that, but B? Nah, son. That’s a whole other level of wack.” It’s for when you’re drawin’ a line in the sand, sayin’ one thing is maybe acceptable, but the thing that actually happened is straight-up unbelievable or unacceptable. It’s got that flavor of contrast, you feel me? Like Biggie and Tupac, East Coast vs. West Coast – two different worlds.

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Here’s the lowdown on how you hook this grammar up.

Word Type	How to Connect	Example	English Translation
Noun	Noun + ならまだしも	１００ドルならまだしも、１０００ドルは払はらえないぜ。	A hundred bucks, I could maybe swing, but a G? I ain’t payin’ that.
Verb (Plain)	Verb + ならまだしも	失敗しっぱいするならまだしも、最初さいしょからやらないなんて許ゆるせない。	Making a mistake is one thing, but starting from scratch is unacceptable.
Adjective	Adj + ならまだしも	ちょっとしたケガならまだしも、入院にゅういんするなんて大だいごとだ。	A little scratch, fine, but landin’ in the hospital? That’s major.

So check it, it’s mad simple. You take your noun, your verb in the plain form, or your adjective, and you just slap ならまだしも right on the end of the first part – the part you’re sayin’ is kinda okay. It’s like puttin’ rims on your ride. It just fits. You’re settin’ up the first situation as the “maybe, I guess” option, and then you follow it up with what actually went down, which is usually some next-level nonsense.

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Alright, picture this. You’re Henry Hill in Goodfellas. You’re supposed to be makin’ the Sunday gravy with the meatballs and the sausage. Paulie comes in. If you just forgot the garlic, that’s one thing. Forgetting the garlic? Fuggedaboutit, it happens. ニンニクを忘わすれたならまだしも … Paulie might yell a bit, but you’ll live.

But then, he finds out you used ketchup instead of tomato sauce. Ketchup! In the sauce! That’s a capital offense, you know what I’m sayin’? You don’t do that. That’s the second part of the sentence. The part that’s completely off the rails.

So, ならまだしも is like the garlic. Forgetting it is one level of screw-up. But what comes after is the ketchup – the totally unacceptable, “what were you thinkin’?” situation. It separates a minor hustle from a major bust.

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Here are some lines you might hear in the back alleys of Shinjuku.

ナイフならまだしも、銃じゅうを持もち出だすとは、奴やつも終おわりだな。
A knife is one thing, but pullin’ out a piece? That dude is finished.

見張みはり役やくならまだしも、ヒットマンの仕事しごとは俺おれには無理むりだ。
Being a lookout, I can handle, but a hitman job? That ain’t for me.

懲役ちょうえき５年ねんならまだしも、無期むき懲役ちょうえきなんて食くらったら、人生じんせい終おわりだ。
Five years in the slammer, I could handle, but if I get a life sentence, my life is over.

多少たしょうの賄賂わいろならまだしも、市長しちょうまで買収ばいしゅうするなんて、計画けいかくがでかすぎる。
A little bribe, okay, but buying the mayor himself? This plan is too big.

警察けいさつに追おわれるならまだしも、国税庁こくぜいちょうに目めをつけられるのは厄介やっかいだ。
Being chased by the cops is one thing, but having the National Tax Agency on your tail is a real pain.

事務所じむしょへのカチコミならまだしも、親分おやぶんの自宅じたくを襲撃しゅうげきするとは許ゆるせねえ。
Raiding the office is one thing, but attacking the boss’s home? Unforgivable.

密告みっこく者しゃが一ひ人とりならまだしも、組くみの半分はんぶんが裏切うらぎっていたとはな。
If it was one rat, okay, but half the family turning traitor…

脅迫きょうはく状じょうならまだしも、ボスの娘むすめを誘拐ゆうかいするなんて、奴やつらは一線いっせんを越こえた。
A threatening letter is one thing, but kidnapping the boss’s daughter? They’ve crossed a line.

一いち度どの失敗しっぱいならまだしも、何なん度ども同おなじミスを繰くり返かえす奴やつは信用しんようできねえ。
Failing once is one thing, but a guy who keeps makin’ the same mistake? Can’t trust him.

ちょっとした喧嘩けんかならまだしも、組くみ同士どうしの戦争せんそうになるなんて聞きいてないぞ。
A little scuffle, alright, but a full-blown war between families? I didn’t sign up for this.

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Aight, that’s the 4-1-1 on ならまだしも. Use it when you gotta make it clear that some things are just not on the same level. Keep it real, stay sharp, and don’t get caught slippin’.