はさておき
- 1Sets aside a side topic, such as a joke or digression, to move on to the main subject.Ex. 1
- 2Leaves one consideration out of the present discussion so that a more important one can take priority.Ex. 2
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A somewhat formal, written-leaning expression, though fixed phrases like 冗談はさておき and それはさておき are common in speech and meetings. It signals a deliberate shift of focus. X is not denied or discarded, only set aside for the present discussion. It is close to はともかく but sounds stiffer and more deliberate.
Note that はさておき sets X aside for the current discussion only; it neither dismisses X as unimportant nor implies a later return to it.
Do not attach a question clause directly; use か after a question-word clause and かどうか for yes–no questions, as in 本当かどうかはさておき.
Learners sometimes confuse it with もさることながら, which stresses X's importance instead of setting it aside.
- 1.はともかくN2In the sense of 'leaving A aside for now and turning to B first,' 「はともかく」is basically interchangeable with「はさておき」, but its tone is more casual. It can also imply reservations about A while highlighting your assessment of B, and it has variants such as「はともかくとして」.
- 2.は別としてN3「は別として」is close in the sense of 'setting the first item aside for now' and is often interchangeable; it can likewise attach to「かどうか」. It can, however, also treat the first item as an exception and sounds more neutral, while set phrases for changing the subject, such as「冗談はさておき」, generally use「はさておき」.
- 3.もさることながらN1「もさることながら」first acknowledges that the first item is also important and then emphasizes the second, whereas「はさておき」simply sets the first item aside without evaluating it, so the two cannot be swapped. 「もさることながら」leans toward written style, attaches only to nouns, and cannot be used to change the topic.
- 4.抜きで / 抜きにしてN2「抜きで / 抜きにして」means removing someone or something that would normally be present, as in holding a meeting「部長抜きで」, whereas「はさておき」only sets a topic aside for the moment. The two are close in the sense of 'leaving something aside,' as in「前置きは抜きにして」and「コストを抜きにして」.
はともかく has nearly the same meaning but is more conversational, and は別として treats X as an exception excluded from the statement. もさることながら affirms X's importance while adding Y, and 抜きで / 抜きにして means actually doing without or removing X, rather than just leaving it out of the discussion.
