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Formation: V-dictionary (想像する／考える／思う／聞く) + だに + emotion word (恐ろしい etc.); N + だに + negative (微動だにしない, 夢にだに思わない)

だに is a literary particle meaning "even", used in two narrow ways. After a few verbs of thinking or hearing, followed by a word for fear or horror, it means "just thinking about it (is frightening)": 想像するだに恐ろしい, 考えるだにぞっとする. After a noun with a negative verb it means "not even". This use survives mostly in fixed phrases: 微動だにしない (not move a muscle), 一顧だにしない (not give a second glance), 夢にだに思わない (never even dream). The particles 〜すら and 〜さえ also mean "even", but they combine freely with almost any word. だに is limited to these patterns and sounds written or literary, so learners should use it only in the set combinations.

Variants: 微動だにしない、一顧だにしない、夢にだに

Examples

• 地震で家族を失うなど、想像するだにぞっとする。
  Losing one's family in an earthquake is horrifying even to imagine.
• 衛兵は微動だにせず立っていた。
  The guard stood without moving a muscle.
• 自分が受賞するとは夢にだに思わなかった。
  I never even dreamed that I would win the award.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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