よりほかない
🃏 Flashcard
よりほかない
yori hoka nai
Tap to reveal usage
to have no choice but~
N2
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N2
Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage
Reading
yori hoka nai
Post ID
51183
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
to have no choice but~
📖 How to use it
Expresses that there is no other option but to do something.
Attaches to
Attach to the dictionary (plain present) form of a verb. For nouns or adjectives, use 'である' before 'よりほかない'.
This pattern is used when you have considered other possibilities but have concluded that the only remaining choice is to do something. It often carries a nuance of resignation or reluctant acceptance. For example, if you miss the last train, you might say you have no choice but to walk home. It is more emphatic than 'しかない' and tends to be used in formal or written contexts, though it can appear in speech in careful or serious situations.
電車がもうないので、歩いて帰るよりほかない。
Densha ga mou nai node, aruite kaeru yori hoka nai.
Since there are no more trains, I have no choice but to walk home.
この仕事を続けるなら、日本語を勉強するよりほかない。
Kono shigoto o tsuzukeru nara, nihongo o benkyou suru yori hoka nai.
If you want to continue this job, you have no choice but to study Japanese.
彼が来ないなら、自分でやるよりほかない。
Kare ga konai nara, jibun de yaru yori hoka nai.
If he doesn't come, I have no choice but to do it myself.
Not しかない
'しかない' is more conversational and can also mean 'only'. 'よりほかない' is stronger and more formal, often used when you are out of options after considering alternatives.
Register
Formal and somewhat literary; rarely used in casual conversation, but acceptable in serious or written statements.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
よりほかない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat よりほかない three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using よりほかない. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N2 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern よりほかない mean?
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To have no choice but~
What JLPT level is よりほかない?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use よりほかない in a sentence?
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Attach よりほかない (yori hoka nai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is よりほかない formal or casual Japanese?
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よりほかない is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember よりほかない long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.