をおいてほかに（は）ない (wooitehokani ha nai)

Meaning & usage

をおいてほかに（は）ない emphatically states that no one or nothing besides the mentioned noun fits the description, meaning it is the only possible one. It attaches directly to a noun and is typically used with negative expressions like いない or ない, often in formal or written contexts.

Example sentences 4

1. この企画きかくを任まかせられるのは、田中たなかさんをおいてほかに（は）ないだろう。

   There is probably no one but Tanaka who could be put in charge of this project.

2. 彼をおいてほかに（は）ない、チームをまとめられる人は。

   Apart from him, there is no one who can hold the team together.

3. 夏の風物詩といえば、花火をおいてほかに（は）ない。

   When it comes to symbols of summer, nothing else but fireworks comes to mind.

4. 後継者は長男をおいてほかに（は）ないと、父は言い切った。

   My father declared flatly that there was no successor other than the eldest son.