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Decoded Slug: ~よりほかない (〜yori hoka nai)

Japanese JLPT Grammar Point
~よりほかない (〜yori hoka nai)

~よりほかない (〜yori hoka nai)

Short explanation:

Express that there is no other choice/alternative; 'have no choice but', 'nothing but', 'cannot do anything but'.

Formation:

Verb-Te form + よりほかない, い-Adjective-Te form(+の) + よりほかない, な-Adjective + で + よりほかない, Noun + で + よりほかない

Examples:

試験が近いので、勉強するよりほかない。
Shiken ga chikai node, benkyou suru yori hoka nai.
Since the exam is near, there is no choice but to study.
風邪がひどいので、早く寝るよりほかない。
Kaze ga hidoi node, hayaku neru yori hoka nai.
As my cold is severe, I have no choice but to go to bed early.
バスが来ないので、歩くよりほかない。
Basu ga konai node, aruku yori hoka nai.
Since the bus is not coming, I have no choice but to walk.
お金がないので、安いものを買うよりほかない。
okane ga nai node, yasui mono o kau yori hoka nai.
Since I have no money, I have no choice but to buy cheap things.

Long explanation:

The ~よりほかない grammar point is used to express that there is no other choice or alternative in a given situation. It can be translated as 'have no choice but', 'nothing but', or 'cannot do anything but' in English. The formation differs depending on whether it is used with a verb, い-adjective, な-adjective, or noun.
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