Have no choice but to: 〜しかない
Verb (dictionary) + しかない / ほかない
Verb (dictionary) + しかない: “no choice but to”, the only remaining solution. Polite: しかありません; written: ほかない.
In short
Verb + しかない means only one solution is left: “there's nothing for it but to, I have no choice but to”. 終電がないから、歩いて帰るしかない: “there's no last train, so the only thing for it is to walk home”.
- 終電がないから、歩いて帰るしかない。しゅうでんがないから、あるいてかえるしかない。There's no last train, so the only thing for it is to walk home.
- だれも手伝ってくれないなら、自分でやるしかありません。だれもてつだってくれないなら、じぶんでやるしかありません。If nobody will help me, I have no choice but to do it myself.
- ここまで来たら、もうやるしかない。ここまできたら、もうやるしかない。Now that we've come this far, there's nothing for it but to go for it.
The basics
しか〜ない (N4) means “only, nothing but”. Placed after a verb, it says “this is the only possible action”. It's the expression of resignation (“oh well, that's all that's left to do”) or determination (“right, there's nothing for it but to…”) — English “have no choice but to”, “the only thing for it is”.
There's no last train, so the only thing for it is to walk home.
- other
- verb
- particle
- grammatical form
- チケットが売り切れなら、諦めるしかないね。ちけっとがうりきれなら、あきらめるしかないね。If the tickets have sold out, there's nothing for it but to give up.
How to form it
The verb goes in the dictionary form, never the negative: the negative is already in ない. Polite: しかありません. In writing or a formal register: 〜ほかない, 〜よりほかない, 〜ほかはない.
| Register | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| neutral | 〜しかない | 待つしかない |
| polite | 〜しかありません | 待つしかありません |
| written, formal | 〜ほかない / 〜よりほかない | 待つよりほかない |
- 電車が止まっているので、待つしかありません。でんしゃがとまっているので、まつしかありません。The trains have stopped, so we have no choice but to wait.
- この問題は、本人と話し合うよりほかない。このもんだいは、ほんにんとはなしあうよりほかない。With this problem, there's no other solution than to talk it over with the person concerned.
Verb + しかない or noun + しか〜ない?
With a noun, しか〜ない limits a quantity: 千円しかない, “I've only got a thousand yen”. With a verb, しかない limits the options: 歩くしかない, “walking is the only option”. The principle is the same: only one thing is left.
At N2, you'll see 〜ざるをえない, which is more written and more constrained (“one cannot help but”).
- 時間が五分しかない。じかんがごふんしかない。There are only five minutes left.
- 五分しかないなら、タクシーで行くしかない。ごふんしかないなら、たくしーでいくしかない。If there are only five minutes left, there's nothing for it but to take a taxi.
Common mistakes
- Putting the verb in the negative: “歩かないしかない” is wrong; it's 歩くしかない.
- Confusing しかない (no choice but to) with だけだ (it's only…): 待つだけだ = “all that's left is to wait (nothing else to do)”, fairly close, but without the idea of resignation.
- Using しかない for a mere preference: it's the only option, not the best one.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N3 point is on the Kosei Line (Thinking and deciding) of the Kyoto lines.