〜を余儀なくされる: 'Forced To' (Meaning + Examples)
Being left with no choice
〜を余儀なくされる attaches after a noun (often a verbal noun like 中止, 変更, 休業) and means the subject "is forced into / has no choice but to undergo" that outcome. The cause is always some external pressure — a disaster, an economic shift, an illness — never a personal decision.
台風のため、イベントは中止を余儀なくされた。
たいふうのため、いべんとは ちゅうしを よぎなくされた。
Because of the typhoon, the event was forced to be cancelled.
台風 (external cause) forces 中止 (cancellation) on the event.
経済危機により、多くの企業が事業の縮小を余儀なくされた。
けいざいききにより、おおくの きぎょうが じぎょうの しゅくしょうを よぎなくされた。
Due to the economic crisis, many companies were forced to scale back their operations.
やったんはケガのため、大会への参加を余儀なくされて欠場した。
やったんは けがのため、たいかいへの さんかを よぎなくされて けつじょうした。
Because of an injury, Yattan was forced to withdraw from the competition.
Original example: injury (cause) forces withdrawal.
Form: Noun + を余儀なくされる
The pattern needs a noun before を — usually a two-character Sino-Japanese noun describing an action or state (中止, 変更, 休業, 撤退, 延期).
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (action/state) | N + を余儀なくされる | 休業を余儀なくされる = be forced to close (business) |
| Noun | N + を余儀なくされる | 変更を余儀なくされる = be forced to change |
工場は原材料の不足で、生産の停止を余儀なくされた。
こうじょうは げんざいりょうの ふそくで、せいさんの ていしを よぎなくされた。
Due to a shortage of raw materials, the factory was forced to halt production.
Related form: 〜を余儀なくさせる
Don't confuse the passive 〜を余儀なくされる (the subject is forced) with the causative 〜を余儀なくさせる (something forces the subject). The causative puts the cause as the grammatical subject: 台風が中止を余儀なくさせた ("The typhoon forced the cancellation"). In practice, news Japanese overwhelmingly prefers the passive される form, with the affected party as the subject.
The short version
- 〜を余儀なくされる = "to be forced/compelled to (do)" by outside circumstances.
- Attaches to: Noun (action/state) + を余儀なくされる.
- Nuance/register: formal, written, common in news; subject has no real choice.
- Don't confuse with: 〜を余儀なくさせる, the causative version where the cause itself is the grammatical subject.
Practice it
Choose the correct use of 〜を余儀なくされる for being forced into an outcome by circumstances.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
台風のため、＿＿＿。
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜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).
- 〜を控えて — 〜を控えて means 'with (an event) coming up soon,' marking an upcoming occasion — an exam, wedding, or election — that explains why someone is busy or acting a certain way now.