日本語道場
Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2
N2· hand-written
～ほかない
Have no choice but to / Must / Can only / There's nothing to do but
When to use it
Express that there is no alternative; the speaker is compelled to take an action due to circumstances beyond their control; common in business contexts when explaining necessity or last-resort decisions.
Formation
Verb: 辞める → 辞めるほかない — "I have no choice but to quit" (yameru) → (yameru hoka nai) I-Adj: ～ (not typically used with i-adjectives directly) Noun: ～ (not typically used with nouns directly; use verb form)
Note: This pattern primarily attaches to the dictionary form of verbs.
Examples
This quarter's budget has been cut by 30%. We have no choice but to scale down operations.
That's tough. Specifically, what kind of response will be needed?
First, we have no choice but to postpone some new projects. Then, we must also review outsourcing costs. It's an unavoidable decision, but it's a necessary measure to break through the current situation.
Noun: ～ (not typically used with nouns directly; use verb form)