How to say "without" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- noun, noun (suffix)The basic word for the absence of a thing: 'without' in the sense of something expected or usual being missing. Suits statements that something lacks a feature or item, and is normally written in kana.
- adverbThe choice when 'without' concerns an action rather than a thing: doing one thing without doing another. Its second sense, 'instead of', fits when the skipped action is replaced by a different one.
- expressionThe negative conditional 'if not', also 'otherwise; or else'. Its 'without' sense is marginal, fitting only when the lack is framed as a condition, so it is seldom the word you want for plain 'without'.
- expressionAn emphatic way to say 'without': には gives the absent thing contrastive focus, underlining how much its absence matters to what follows. Use it when you want to stress the lack, not merely note it.
- prefixLoanword for 'no': refusal, denial, 'not needed', 'not allowed'. As 'without' it shows up chiefly in loan-style expressions, so it is rarely the word you want for ordinary 'without'.
Choose 「なし」 for the absence of a thing, 「せずに」 for doing one thing without doing another (or 'instead of'), 「なしには」 for emphatic 'without', 「ノー」 only in loan-style 'no' expressions, and 「でなければ」 mainly as 'if not'.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- なしwithout
- せずにwithout (doing)
- でなければwithout
- なしにはwithout
- せんとwithout (doing)
- ず(does) not ..., and
- なしでwithout
- なしにwithout
- なくてはwithout
- なくしてwithout
- なくしてはin the event that it did not (or does not) exist
- をおいてother than
- じゃなしにnot (that), but rather (something else)
- ではなしにnot (that), but rather (something else)
- 没ぼつlacking
- ナッシングwithout
- ノーno
- ならではbut
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