sensushi
← back to ざるを得ない

ざるを得ない details

write + have no choice but to do

kaka zaru o enai

have no choice but to do; cannot avoid doing

meaning: have no choice but to write

台風たいふう新幹線しんかんせんまり、旅行りょこう諦めあきらめざるをえない

taifuu de shinkansen ga tomari, ryokou o akirame zaru o enai.

The typhoon stopped the bullet trains, so we have no choice but to give up the trip. neutral

ここまで証拠しょうこがそろうと、かれ主張しゅちょう認めみとめざるをえない

koko made shouko ga sorou to, kare no shuchou o mitome zaru o enai.

With this much evidence lined up, I have no choice but to accept his claim. neutral

  • past
  • polite

Examples

have no choice but to — circumstances close off every alternative, and the speaker yields against their preference

台風たいふう新幹線しんかんせんまり、旅行りょこうあきらめざるをえなかった。

taifuu de shinkansen ga tomari, ryokou o akiramezaruwoenakatta.

The typhoon stopped the bullet trains, so we had no choice but to give up the trip. neutral

ここまで証拠しょうこがそろうと、かれ主張しゅちょうみとめざるをえない。

koko made shouko ga sorou to, kare no shuchou o mitomezaruwoenai.

With this much evidence lined up, I have no choice but to accept his claim. neutral

原材料げんざいりょう高騰こうとうつづいており、値上ねあげにらざるをえないと判断はんだんいたしました。

genzairyou no koutou ga tsuzuite ori, neage ni fumikirazaruwoenai to handan itashimashita.

With raw-material costs continuing to soar, we have concluded that we have no choice but to go ahead with a price increase. formal

Formation

Notes

Rides the classical negative stem — する→せざるを得ない (never ×しざる), ある→あらざるを得ない. The act is framed as forced on the subject, so it cannot report a freely chosen course.

Related patterns

Similar

  • なければならない states plain necessity and lives at every register; ざるを得ない is written and formal, and always concedes reluctance — circumstances, not duty, force the act, so 認めざるを得ない admits under pressure where 認めなければならない merely cites obligation.

  • Both mean "forced to do" — させられる names a forcer (a person makes you), ざるを得ない blames circumstances with no one to point at; 残業させられた has a boss in it, 残業せざるを得ない only a deadline.

Same meaning

must do

PatternAttaches to
ないといけない
なければならない
なくてはいけない
wake-ni-wa-ikanai (planned)