N2 · Expressions (N2)
ざるをえない: no choice but to
have no choice but to
A formal "I have no choice": circumstances force an action the speaker would rather avoid.
Take the ない-form of a verb, drop ない, and add ざるを得ない: 行かない becomes 行かざるを得ない, 認めない becomes 認めざるを得ない. The two irregular verbs are learned separately: する becomes せざるを得ない, and 来る becomes 来ざるを得ない.
ざる is an old negative and 得ない is "cannot", so the phrase says "cannot not do": circumstances leave one way out, and the speaker takes it unwillingly. 雨なので中止せざるを得ない — with this rain, we have no choice but to call it off.
It is formal and written, and it is also heard in meetings, interviews and the news. In conversation the same thing is しかない or ないわけにはいかない; なければならない states an obligation without the sense of being cornered.
The commonest slip is with する. Its ない-form is しない, so learners write しざるを得ない; but ざる keeps an older form of the verb, and the correct shape is せざるを得ない — the same せ as in せずに.
The form
stem (regular) stem (irregular) ending
| go (u-verb) | 行かざるを得ない |
| say (u-verb) | 言わざるを得ない |
| admit (ru-verb) | 認めざるを得ない |
| give up (ru-verb) | 諦めざるを得ない |
| do (irregular) | せざるを得ない |
| come (irregular) | 来ざるを得ない |
| polite | 行かざるを得ません |
| past | 行かざるを得なかった |
The rules one by one
Drop ない from the ない-form and add ざるを得ない.
この結果を見れば、失敗を認めざるを得ない。Looking at these results, we have to admit that it failed.
する becomes せざるを得ない, and 来る becomes 来ざるを得ない.
台風が近づいているので、旅行は中止せざるを得ない。With a typhoon approaching, we have no choice but to cancel the trip.
The speaker acts unwillingly; the pressure comes from circumstances.
人が足りないので、社長自身も現場に出ざるを得ない。They are short of people, so even the president has to go out on site.
In conversation, しかない says much the same thing.
終電がないから、タクシーで帰るしかない。The last train has gone, so a taxi home is the only option.
A closer look
Why an old form survives
ざる is the form of the classical negative ず that stands before a noun, and を得ない is "cannot obtain". The phrase is a piece of the older written language that modern Japanese kept whole, which is why its parts do not behave like modern grammar and why する appears as せ.
The same ず is still alive in writing: 行かず, せずに, 知らず知らず. Once you know that ず and ざる are two forms of one old negative, せざるを得ない stops looking irregular: it is simply せず with a different ending.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the verb is 来る
the stem is 来, read ko, as in the ない-form 来ない.
上司に呼ばれれば、休日でも来ざるを得ない。If the boss calls, you have to come in even on your day off.
Unlike する, 来る uses the same stem here as in its modern negative, so only the reading has to be remembered.
How to spot it
- ざるを得ない
- ざるを得ません
- せざるを得ない
Example sentences
医者に止められたので、たばこをやめざるを得なかった。The doctor told me to stop, so I had no choice but to give up smoking.
予算が足りなければ、計画を縮小せざるを得ない。If the budget is not enough, we will have to scale the plan down.
これだけ証拠があれば、彼が犯人だと考えざるを得ない。With this much evidence, one can only conclude that he did it.
誰もやらないので、私がやらざるを得ない。Nobody else will do it, so it falls to me.
原料の値段が上がり続ければ、値上げせざるを得ません。If raw material prices keep rising, we will have no choice but to raise our prices.
悪天候のため、試合を延期せざるを得なかった。Because of the bad weather, the match had to be postponed.
7 more example sentences
体調が悪いので、今日は早退せざるを得ない。I feel unwell, so I have no choice but to leave early today.
彼の努力は認めざるを得ない。One has to acknowledge the effort he has put in.
家賃が上がったので、引っ越さざるを得なくなった。The rent went up, so I ended up having to move.
道が通行止めで、遠回りせざるを得なかった。The road was closed, so we had to take the long way round.
安全のためには、規則を厳しくせざるを得ない。For the sake of safety, the rules have to be tightened.
部品が届かず、工場は生産を止めざるを得なかった。The parts did not arrive, so the factory had to stop production.
正直に言えば、今回は失敗だったと言わざるを得ない。To be honest, I have to say that this time it was a failure.
Worth knowing (1)
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A criticism the facts forced
In meetings and reviews と言わざるを得ない softens a criticism by presenting it as forced on the speaker by the facts: not "I say it failed" but "I cannot avoid saying it failed". It is firm and polite at once, and English "I am afraid I have to say" is its closest match.
この計画は準備不足だったと言わざるを得ません。I am afraid I have to say that this plan was not properly prepared.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Built from the ない-form, する ought to give しざる, and it does not. ざる belongs to the older language, where the negative stem of する was せ, and it has kept that stem. Every する-verb follows: 中止せざる, 参加せざる, 変更せざる.
Drop ない and add ざるをえない — but する turns into せざる.
Your turn
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