JLPT N2 grammar

〜ざるを得ないmeaning and usage

Meaning

Only A is left to do/can be done

How to form it

  • verb (nai-form without ない)ざるを得ない
  • する → せざるを得ない

How it is used

After the nai-stem: 'have no choice but to', doing something reluctantly because circumstances leave no alternative. It sounds formal; 「する」 becomes 「せざるを得ない」. In conversation, 「〜しかない」 or 「〜なければならない」 is more common.

Examples

  1. 彼氏は人の悪口を言ってばかりです。一緒にいてとても辛いので彼氏とは別れざるを得ない。

    My boyfriend does nothing but badmouth people. Being with him is so painful that I have no choice but to break up with him.

  2. 大雨のため、旅行を中止せざるを得なかった。

    Because of the heavy rain, we had no choice but to call off the trip.

  3. 先生に言われたら、やらざるを得ない。

    If the teacher tells us to, we have no choice but to do it.