Structure
Number + Counter + にして
Noun + にして
Details
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Standard
About にして①
When the case-marking particle に is combined with the て-form of する, it often carries the meaning of 'at (A)', 'over (A)', or 'only when (A)'. This nuance is used when (A) is something that is a fairly high level, or some point that would be considered a prime example for any given topic.
にして may appear following counters, or standard nouns.
While にして marks (A) as some particular exemplar, what follows may either be something that is or is not considered befitting of that example. In this way, (B) generally describes something that either does or does not fulfill the expectations of (A), and perhaps why.
It is common to see にして followed by grammar patterns such as ようやく 'finally', or 初めて 'only when'. These function to emphasize にして even further as being a point from which something is achieved or attained.
Fun Fact
Just like other structures that make use of the various conjugations of にする, にして indicates something that has been decided upon, or is being accepted as a fact from which a new condition will arise, or has arisen.
Examples
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今にして思えばあの頃5ドルでビットコインを売るのは間違った決定だったかも。
When I think about it now, selling bitcoin for 5 dollars at that time might have been a bad decision. (only (after/when/because))
釈迦は29歳にして初めて、宮殿を出た。
Buddha left the palace for the first time at the age of 29. (only (after/when/because))
彼はバブルがはじけたことにより一夜にして破産者となった。
Due to the bubble burst, he went bankrupt overnight. (only (after/when/because))
小説、語り手:「ミステリアスなその見知らぬ人は、一瞬にして二人の暗殺者を同時に殺してしまった。」
A novel, narrator: 'The mysterious stranger, in a moment, killed two assassins at once.' (only (after/when/because))
ふうかはあきつき氏夫妻の結婚20年目にして初めて授かった長女だった。
Fuuka was the first daughter that the Akitsuki couple was blessed with in the 20th year of their marriage. (only (after/when/because))
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