Verb ざるを得ない

~ zaru wo enai

JLPT N1 Very formal, literary Chapter 119: N1: Inevitable (Cannot Help But), 2 of 4

Formation

Verb-dictionary form + ざるを得ない (する -> せざるを得ない)

'Cannot but', 'have no choice but to', 'forced to'

When to use

Formal, literary "have no choice but to/cannot avoid doing" - circumstances leave no alternative.

Explanation

The Verb ざるを得ない construction is used when the subject is compelled or forced to do something out of necessity, leaving no other choice. It conveys the idea of 'cannot but...' or 'have no choice but...' in English.

Example sentences

Inevitable (Cannot Help But)

Corpus examples (27)

Showing 25 of 27 corpus examples.