〜をおいて: 'No One / Nothing Other Than' (Emphatic Exclusivity)
Praising something as uniquely qualified
〜をおいて singles out one person or thing as the only real option, with everything else implicitly ruled out.
この仕事を任せられるのは、やったんをおいてほかにいない。
この しごとを まかせられるのは、やったんを おいて ほかに いない。
There's no one to entrust this job to other than Yattan.
やったんをおいて singles Yattan out as the sole candidate.
この難しいなぞなぞを解けるのは、もちをおいてほかにいないだろう。
この むずかしい なぞなぞを とけるのは、もちを おいて ほかに いないだろう。
There's probably no one who can solve this tricky riddle other than Mochi.
A rhetorical compliment — Mochi is implicitly the smartest one around.
Form
〜をおいて attaches to a noun and is normally followed by ほかに + a negative (いない/ない), though ほかに is sometimes dropped in short, punchy phrasing.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (person/thing) | Noun + をおいて(ほかに) + Negative | 彼をおいてほかにいない |
この問題を解決できるのは、この専門家をおいて他にいないだろう。
この もんだいを かいけつできるのは、この せんもんかを おいて ほかに いないだろう。
There's probably no one but this expert who can solve this problem.
ほかに is often included for extra emphasis, though it can be dropped.
Nuance: をおいて vs 以外に
〜以外に ("other than / besides") is neutral — it simply names an exception without judgment. 〜をおいて is emphatic and rhetorical, used to praise or elevate X as irreplaceable, almost always with a negative ending. You wouldn't casually say "駅をおいて他にコンビニはない" for a mundane fact; that flat use belongs to 以外に instead.
The short version
- 〜をおいて(〜ない/いない) = "there is no one/nothing other than [X]"
- Attaches to: Noun + をおいて(ほかに) + negative
- Nuance/register: emphatic, rhetorical praise of uniqueness; common in speeches and strong claims
- Don't confuse with: 以外に (neutral "other than," no rhetorical weight)
Practice it
Choose をおいて for the emphatic 'no one/nothing other than X' pattern.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
この仕事を任せられるのは、＿＿＿。
Where 〜をおいて fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜を余儀なくされる — 〜を余儀なくされる means 'to be forced/compelled to (do)' by circumstances beyond one's control. Formal written Japanese, always passive in feeling — the subject has no real choice.
- 〜をよそに — 〜をよそに means 'disregarding' or 'paying no attention to' — someone acts without regard for others' worry, expectations, or a surrounding situation. Formal, and often carries a note of criticism or striking contrast.
- 〜や否や — 〜や否や means 'the moment that / no sooner than' — a second event follows the first with zero gap. Formal written Japanese used for dramatic, immediate sequences of action.
- 〜ゆえに — 〜ゆえに is a formal, literary expression meaning 'therefore' or 'because of' — it attaches to nouns and adjectives (often with が or の) to state a reason in written, academic, or classical-sounding Japanese.
- 〜ざる — 〜ざる is the classical attributive negative form (from ず), fossilized today in formal set phrases like ざるを得ない ('cannot help but'), ざる事情 ('unavoidable circumstances'), and ざるべからず ('must not fail to').
- 〜ずくめ — 〜ずくめ attaches to a noun to mean 'nothing but / entirely' — describing a situation, outfit, or run of events made up of one single thing, color, or quality with no exceptions, often positive (いいことずくめ) or visually total (黒ずくめ).