N2 Assertion, Likelihood, and Norms

~(より)ほかない: meaning, usage and examples

~(より)ほかない means: have no choice but... / can only...

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

Examples

1. この状況じょうきょうでは、待まつほかない。

   In this situation, we can only wait.

2. あきらめるよりほかなかった。

   I had no choice but to give up.

3. 終電しゅうでんに乗のり遅おくれたので、タクシーで帰かえるほかなかった。

   I missed the last train, so I had no choice but to take a taxi home.

4. 道みちが通とおれなくなっていたので、引ひき返かえすよりほかなかった。

   The road was closed, so we had no choice but to turn back.

When to use it

Use ほかない when there is no other method or option, so you must do the one thing left. It is often used after trying other ways or when a situation cannot be changed, as in 終電しゅうでんがないので、タクシーで帰かえるほかない (there is no last train, so I can only take a taxi home).

Nuance

More written and formal than しかない. It often has a feeling of resignation. Adding より (よりほかない) makes it slightly more formal. It describes the speaker's or someone's forced choice, not a free choice.

Compare

しかない is the everyday spoken version with the same meaning: 待まつしかない. ざるをえない stresses reluctance under outside pressure: 中止ちゅうしせざるをえない. ほかない stresses that only one method remains, with calm resignation: 引ひき返かえすほかない.

Tip: Replace ほかない with しかない in your head; if the sentence still works, ほかない is right. Use ほかない in writing.