modality N2 uncommon politewritten
〜以外にない — there is nothing but ~ / no choice but ~
〜以外にない ・ いがいにない
Meaning
- there is nothing but ~ / no choice but ~ — X is the only possibility; with a noun it means 'the only one is X,' with a verb 'the only thing to do is X'
Key sentence
成功するには、努力する以外にない。
To succeed, there's nothing for it but to work hard.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun, or Verb (dictionary form) | N / V(る) + 以外にない | これ以外にない / 進む以外にない |
Examples
この値段で買えるのは、この店以外にない。
This shop is the only place where you can buy it at this price.
もう時間がない。ここで決断する以外にないだろう。
There's no time left — we have no choice but to decide right here.
Easily confused with
しかない しかない is the everyday 'have no choice but to'; 以外にない is more emphatic and explicitly rules out every other option ('nothing other than this'). よりほかない Both mean 'no choice but to'; よりほかない takes a verb action, while 以外にない works equally for nouns ('no one but X') and verbs. 以外 Bare 以外 just means 'other than ~' (彼以外の人); 以外にない closes it with ない to assert there is no other option at all.
See 〜以外にない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜以外にない the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.