ざるを得ない

Cannot Help but

Level 3Sounds Like zaruwoenai

The pattern ざるを得ない means "cannot help but" or "have no choice but to." It is a formal, written expression used when external factors force an action that the speaker might not otherwise want to take.

How It Works

1. Formation
The pattern attaches to the negative stem (the same stem used for the plain negative form), with the exception of する:

Godan Verbs: Change the final vowel to the 'a' row + ざるを得ない. (e.g., 行く（いく） → 行かざるを得ない)
Ichidan Verbs: Remove る + ざるを得ない. (e.g., 食べる（たべる） → 食べざるを得ない)
Irregular Verbs (Crucial):
・する becomes せざるを得ない (not しざるを得ない)
・来る（くる） becomes こざるを得ない

2. Nuance and Usage
Unlike neutral obligation, ざるを得ない implies that the speaker has exhausted all other options. It carries a tone of resignation or reluctance. Because it is highly formal, it is frequently found in:

Business reports and emails
News broadcasts
Academic writing
Formal speeches

3. Restrictions
It is typically used with volitional verbs (actions you can control). However, a major exception is verbs of thinking and feeling (e.g., 思う（おもう）, 感じる（かんじる）). Phrases like 思わざるを得ない（おもわざるをえない） are extremely common, and in these cases, the subject is almost always the first person. It is rarely used with adjectives or other non-volitional states. To describe an unavoidable situation rather than an action, the phrase やむを得ない is often used instead.

4. Past Tense
Because the pattern ends in ない, it conjugates like an い-adjective. To express the past tense, change ない to なかった, resulting in 〜ざるを得なかった (could not help but / had no choice but to).

Examples (4)

台風で飛行機が欠航したため、旅行を中止せざるを得なかった。
Because the flight was canceled due to the typhoon, I had no choice but to cancel the trip.
Word by Word: Typhoon by flight subject-marker cancellation did because, travel object-marker cancellation do-cannot-help-but-past.
This shows an external circumstance (the typhoon) forcing a reluctant action (canceling the trip). Note the irregular conjugation of する to せざるを得ない.
これだけ証拠が揃っている以上、彼が犯人だと認めざるを得ない。
Given that all this evidence is gathered, we cannot help but admit he is the culprit.
Word by Word: This much evidence subject-marker gathered-is since, he subject-marker culprit is that admit-cannot-help-but.
Here, the 'necessity' is logical. The evidence is so strong that any other conclusion is impossible.
予算が足りないため、計画を変更せざるを得ない状況だ。
Because the budget is insufficient, we are in a situation where we have no choice but to change the plan.
Word by Word: Budget subject-marker not-enough because, plan object-marker change-cannot-help-but situation is.
Commonly used in business contexts to describe forced changes in strategy or planning.
反対意見も多いが、今の案を受け入れざるを得ないだろう。
There are many opposing opinions, but we will likely have no choice but to accept the current proposal.
Word by Word: Opposing opinions also many but, current proposal object-marker accept-cannot-help-but probably.
The use of だろう at the end softens the statement while maintaining the formal tone of the grammar pattern.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong stem for the verb する.
勉強しざるを得ない。
勉強せざるを得ない。
The verb する uses the classical negative stem せ rather than the modern し when followed by ざる.
Using it in casual conversation.
ピザを食べざるを得ない！
ピザを食べるしかない！
ざるを得ない is very stiff and formal. Using it for trivial daily matters like eating pizza sounds unnaturally dramatic or robotic. Use しかない for casual 'no choice' situations.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ざるを得ないLevel 3Cannot Help but

Learn This First

To understand 'ざるを得ない', learners must first be comfortable with the plain negative (ない) form, as 'ざる' is an archaic negative suffix that attaches to the same stem. Additionally, knowledge of the potential form is necessary to understand that 'えない' expresses the inability to do anything other than the action specified.

Words in This Pattern