パトカーを十台も振り切ってこそ、一流の逃げ屋だ。
You’re only a first-class getaway driver after you’ve shaken off ten damn patrol cars.
Read the explanation below to understand the nuance of how this grammar structure is used.
The Nuance: Real Recognize Real
In the world of the streets, talk is cheap. You can claim you’re “about that life,” but ～てこそ is the grammar of proof. It translates roughly to “Only after doing [A], does [B] truly happen/become clear” or “It is only by [A] that [B] is possible.” This isn’t just a basic “if-then” statement. This is about the essence of something. It’s like saying you aren’t a true lyricist until you’ve survived a rap battle in a basement in Detroit. It emphasizes that “A” is the absolute, indispensable requirement for “B” to even exist or have meaning.
The Situation: When the Mask Comes Off
You use this when you’re dropping some deep wisdom or stating a hard truth about the game. Think of The Wire—you aren’t a real kingpin until you’ve handled a betrayal within your own crew. Or think about the hustle; you don’t truly appreciate the stack of cash in your hand until you’ve put in the sweat and blood to earn it. It’s used for realizations, strong convictions, or defining what it actually means to be something.
Read the table below then use it to conjugate some words you know.
Check the blueprint below to see how we lace this together.
| Part of Speech | Conjugation | Example | English Translation |
| Verb | Te-form + こそ | 奪ってこそ | Only by snatching it… |
| Verb | Te-form + こそ | 生き残ってこそ | Only by surviving… |
| Verb | Te-form + こそ | 裏切ってこそ | Only after betraying… |
To build this, just take your verb, put it in the Te-form, and slap こそ on the end. It’s a simple structure, but it carries the weight of a heavy chain. It’s usually followed by a statement of fact or a natural result that defines the “true” version of the subject.
Read and master the example sentences below.
証拠を消し去ってこそ、完璧な犯罪になる。
It only becomes the perfect crime once you’ve wiped away all the evidence.
指名手配されてこそ、一流の犯罪者の仲間入りだ。
You’ve only joined the ranks of first-class criminals once there’s a “Wanted” poster with your face on it.
冷静沈着であってこそ、ピンチを切り抜けられる。
Only by staying cool and collected can you get through a tight spot.
血を流してこそ、友情は本物になる。
Friendship only becomes real after blood has been spilled together.
影に潜んでこそ、獲物を確実に仕留められる。
Only by lurking in the shadows can you surely take down your prey.
銃を捨ててこそ、新しい人生が始まる。
A new life only begins once you’ve dropped the gun for good.
闇取引を成功させてこそ、一人前のディーラーだ。
You’re only a full-fledged dealer after you’ve pulled off a black-market deal.
密告の誘惑に勝ってこそ、男の価値が決まる。
A man’s worth is decided only after he resists the temptation to snitch.
厳しい取調に耐えてこそ、信頼できる部下だ。
Only by enduring a brutal interrogation do you prove you’re a trustworthy subordinate.
地獄を見てこそ、本当の恐怖がわかる。
You only understand true fear after you’ve seen hell.
Stay dangerous.
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