ざるを得(え)ないCan't help doing, Have no choice but

する→せざるを得ない, くる→こざるを得ない

Structure

Verb［ない］+ ざるを得ない

Details

About ざるを得ない

ざる is the 連体形(れんたいけい) (attributive form) of the old-fashioned auxiliary verb ざり. ざり carries the same meaning as the modern ない, in negating what comes before it.

When joined with a combination of the る-Verb 得(え)る 'to gain', or 'to acquire', and the auxiliary verb ない, it becomes a double-negative structure meaning that one 'cannot help doing (A)', or 'there is no choice but to (A)'. More literally, it means that one 'can't not (A)'.

For the most part, this structure will conjugate with other verbs in exactly the same way as ない.

Caution

As ざり is an old-fashioned structure, it conjugates a little bit differently with する than the regular ない.

Notice here that instead of しない changing to しざる, せざる will be used instead.

Examples

--:--

サプライズのプレゼントに、驚(おどろ)かざるを得(え)なかった。

I couldn't help but be surprised at the surprise present.

思(おも)い掛(が)けない出会(であ)いに、感動(かんどう)せざるを得(え)なかった。

I couldn't help but be moved at the chance meeting.

田中(たなか)さんはとても忙(いそが)しかったのでゴルフの誘(さそ)いを断(ことわ)らざるを得(え)なかった。

Mr. Tanaka was so busy he had no choice but to turn down an invitation to play golf.

古(ふる)い家屋(かおく)は倒壊(とうかい)する恐(おそ)れがあるから、壊(こわ)さざるを得(え)ません。

The old building is at risk of collapsing, so I have no choice but to tear it down.

今(いま)まで使(つか)った顕微鏡(けんびきょう)が壊(こわ)れたから、新(あたら)しいのを買(か)わざるを得(え)ない。

The microscope I have been using until now broke, so I have no choice but to buy a new one.

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- Breakdown, comparisons and examples
  日本語教師のN1et
- Expressing the inability to not do using 「～ざるを得ない」
  Tae Kim

Offline
- Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar
  Page 606
- Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
  Page 324
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ざるを得ない – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (8 in total)

Pushindawood
can’t help doing
have no choice but
Structure
- Verb[ない] + ざるを得ない
する→せ ざるを得ない

[often used in formal settings]

View on Bunpro
Hadros232232
What is the difference in nuance between ずにはいられない and ざるを得ない?
mrnoone
@Hadros232232
Hey

ざるを得ない nuance is that there is no choice, but to do something due to some circumstances like a social norm or something being urgent (often speaker doesn’t want to do it). It has formal nuance, but it is also used in spoken language. have no choice to do something, be compelled to, cannot help doing

「仕事がしたくないけど、せざるを得ない。」
“I don’t want to go to work, but have no choice but to go there.”

ずにはいられない nuance is that the speaker wants to suppress some desire, but despite it, he does it. Cannot help doing something, cannot resist doing something. It has formal nuance, ないではいられない is a casual variant (Also ず version is shorter so people use it in casual speech too).

「ダメだとわかっていたけど、武の秘密をメアリに漏らさずにはいられなかった。」
I knew it was bad thing, but I couldn’t resist telling Mary Takeshi’s s...
Batbrie
What’s the difference between ざるを得ない and しかない?
mrnoone
@Batbrie
Hey and long time no see!

ざるを得ない is more formal and has more complicated conjugation.
Also cannot be used with nouns, unlike しかない (in this case meaning “only”/“nothing but”):

問題を解決する方法は一つしかない。
There is only one way to solve the issue.

I hope it helps,
Cheers!
Razael
I have a feeling, it can be used with nouns in combination with やむを得ない?
That brings to to the question, this point of grammar should be maybe included somewhere.
I have found it in a 新幹線マスター N2 book as

人はやむを得ない理由で働いており、お金がたくさんあったら働かないだろう。

兵糧が尽きれば、撤退もやむを得ない。
兵糧が尽きれば、撤退せざるを得ない。

The grammar is basically the same(except the referred person) and やむを得ない as in the first example can come by itself too.
Can we add something here or even make an own section? (If you think of it as an own grammar point ofc)

Best Regards!
Greenlama
My answer to 思掛かけない出会であいに、感動_______________
is せざるをえない。 But it is marked as incorrect. Why? The example of the same sentence seems to add せ to 感動 but the exercise does not. I have logged out and logged back in (and even entered my answer w/out せ）but Bunpro will not mark my answer as correct.
Thank you very much in advance for any suggestions from anyone.
FredKore
You’re using the right verb but the wrong tense.
せざるをえない
せざるをえなかった
Greenlama
Oh, duh!! Can’t believe I overlooked that. Thanks so much for replying.