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rob

Akasaka

Senior Member
Japanese
Hello everyone,
Is there anything wrong with this sentence? The original sentence was "will cost him his life", but can I use "rob" instead like this?

His carelessness will rob him of his life.

Thanks in advance.
Hi!
to rob actually means to take something away by force or without the consent of the owner...to steal, rip off, etc.

Why don't you like the original expression ("will cost him his life")?
Hello everyone,
Is there anything wrong with this sentence? The original sentence was "will cost him his life", but can I use "rob" instead like this?

His carelessness will rob him of his life.

Thanks in advance.

There's nothing wrong grammatically, but it doesn't sound idiomatic. I think "will cost him his life" is better. What about "will kill him", or is that too strong for your particular context?
We mostly use "rob" for sentences such as "I don't want to rob him of his dignity", or "his early death robbed her of many happy years".
Hello everyone,
Is there anything wrong with this sentence? The original sentence was "will cost him his life", but can I use "rob" instead like this?

His carelessness will rob him of his life.

It would sound odd. In this context you are saying that something he did will rob him of something. We don't usually 'rob' ourselves of something, but rather someone else 'robs' us of something.

"The thief pulled a gun and shot the storeowner, robbing him of his life."
Thanks guys. It looks like my choice is unnatural. I had better not use it. Thank you.
I personally like the "will cost him" and (to me) implies a voluntary action thereby paying the price. Perhaps the context in which the sentence is applied makes the difference. I suppose this comment will "cost" me a little dignity...
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