This is an old way to say "not" before a noun. It is like saying "~nai + Noun" today.
Verb [stem] + ざるPrimary
This is an old way to say "not" before a noun. It is like saying "~nai + Noun" today.
三猿は「見ざる、聞かざる、言わざる」という教えを象徴している。
The three monkeys symbolize the teaching of 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'.
前代未聞の、まさに言語に絶するとはこのことで、想像を絶せざる光景であった。
It was an unprecedented event, truly beyond words, a scene that defied imagination.
我々の知らざる事実が、まだ隠されているのかもしれない。
There may still be facts hidden from us that we do not know.
招待客リストに載らざる人物がパーティーに現れることはなかった。
A person not on the guest list did not show up at the party.
彼は政治の世界で、知る人ぞ知る、しかし決して無視せざるべき存在だ。
In the world of politics, he is known only to those in the know, but is an existence that should by no means be ignored.
This grammar is very old. It is like speaking Shakespeare in modern English. You will mostly see it in old sayings. Using it normally sounds very strange.
This is different from 〜ず and 〜ぬ. You use 〜ざる right before a noun. It means "not" for that noun. For example, 知らざる世界 means "a world one does not know." You do not use 〜ざる at the end of a sentence. You also do not use it to describe how an action is done. That is what 〜ず is for.
Don't use this when you want to say "I don't eat." You need to change the verb form. For most verbs, take the "nai" form. Then, remove "nai." For example, "tabenai" becomes "tabe." Then add "zaru." The verb "suru" is special. It becomes "sezaru."
Use this when you want to sound very formal. It makes your words feel old-fashioned or very serious. It is like using old words in English to make something sound important.
Track your mastery
Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.