have no choice but to; cannot help but

ざるを得ない means one is forced to do something against their wishes. Attach ざるを得ない to a verb's ない-stem (する becomes せざるを得ない). It conveys reluctant inevitability, that there is no other option.

Examples

• 上司じょうしの命令めいれいだから、従したがわざるを得えない。

  Joushi no meirei dakara, shitagawazaru o enai.

  It's the boss's order, so I have no choice but to obey.

• 台風たいふうのため、中止ちゅうしせざるを得えなかった。

  Taifuu no tame, chuushi sezaru o enakatta.

  Because of the typhoon, we had no choice but to cancel.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 上司 boss, superior
• 命令 order, command
• 従う to follow, to obey
• 台風 typhoon
• する to do

Related patterns · Ability and inevitability

• 〜得る can; be possible to
• 〜かねる cannot; be unable to bring oneself to
• 〜かねない might (something bad); be capable of
• 〜がたい hard to; difficult to
• 〜ようがない there's no way to; cannot possibly