N2 Exclusion and Setting Aside

~抜ぬきで/~抜ぬきにして: meaning, usage and examples

~抜ぬきで/~抜ぬきにして means: without... / excluding...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 冗談抜じょうだんぬきで、真面目まじめに話はなそう。

   Jokes aside, let's talk seriously.

2. 休憩抜きゅうけいぬきで、作業さぎょうを続つづけた。

   We continued working without a break.

3. 今日きょうの会議かいぎは堅かたい話はなしは抜ぬきにして、自由じゆうに意見いけんを出だしましょう。

   In today's meeting, let's set formalities aside and share ideas freely.

4. 朝あさご飯はん抜ぬきで学校がっこうに行いく子供こどもが増ふえているそうだ。

   I hear more and more children are going to school without breakfast.

When to use it

Use 抜ぬきで to do something without a thing that is usually included, as in 朝あさご飯はん抜ぬきで (without breakfast). Use 抜ぬきにして to set something aside on purpose, as in 堅かたい話はなしは抜ぬきにして (setting formalities aside). を抜ぬきにしては + negative means "cannot ... without": 彼かれを抜ぬきにしては語かたれない (you cannot talk about it without him).

Nuance

Neutral; 抜ぬきで is common in daily speech, 抜ぬきにして slightly more formal. Set phrases: 冗談じょうだん抜ぬきで (seriously, no joke) and 前置まえおきは抜ぬきにして (skipping the introduction). It usually refers to something that is normally present or expected, such as a meal, a break or a person.

Compare

なしで is plain "without" for any noun: 傘かさなしで出でかけた. 抜ぬきで suggests removing something that normally belongs: わさび抜ぬきで. ことなく is used with verbs: 休やすむことなく働はたらいた. を除のぞいて means "except" and picks out an exception from a group: 日曜日にちようびを除のぞいて.

Tip: Order at a sushi counter: さび抜ぬきで (without wasabi). That set phrase shows the "remove the usual thing" meaning.