“〜o nuki ni shite・〜nuki de”: Setting Aside, Leaving Out [JLPT N1]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

「冗談は抜きにして」 — take a factor out and go on without it (reverse: 〜を抜きにしては〜ない = indispensable).

「冗談を抜きにして」 — setting this factor aside, let's talk straight

To take some factor out of consideration — 「冗談を抜きにして、真面目に話そう (jokes aside, let's talk seriously).」 「〜を抜きにして／〜を除いて」 = setting ～ aside, leaving ～ out, excluding ～. This guide clarifies “を抜きにして = setting a factor aside,” the correlative 「を抜きにしては〜ない (without ～ it doesn't work),」 and separating it from the “exception” 「を除いて.」

Core: setting ～ aside, leaving ～ out (excluding a factor from consideration)

「noun ＋ を抜きにして」 means “setting ～ aside, leaving ～ out, not counting ～, excluding ～ from consideration” — taking some factor out of the considerations, premises:

• 冗談を抜きにして、真剣に議論しよう (jokes aside, let's discuss seriously).
• 感情を抜きにして、事実だけを見るべきだ (we should set emotion aside and look only at facts).
• 前置きを抜きにして、本題に入ります (skipping the preamble, I'll get to the main point).

There's also the correlative negative 「〜を抜きにしては〜ない」 = “without ～ one can't…, it doesn't work without ～”:

• 彼の協力を抜きにしては、この成功は語れない (without his cooperation, this success can't be spoken of).

Feel: 「抜く」 = pull out, remove. 「〜を抜きにして」 = “pulling ～ out, setting it aside,” often for “setting some factor (jokes／emotion／pleasantries) aside, getting back to the point／essence.” The related 「〜を除いて」 = “except ～” (an exception, see 〈を除く〉). In English: setting ～ aside, leaving ～ out, skipping ～, not counting ～.

Attachment rules

Example sentences

• お世辞を抜きにして、率直な感想を聞かせてください。(Flattery aside, please tell me your frank impressions.)
• この問題は、歴史的背景を抜きにしては理解できない。(This problem can't be understood without the historical background.)
• 堅苦しい挨拶は抜きにして、さっそく始めましょう。(Skipping the stiff greetings, let's get started right away.)
• 彼の存在を抜きにしては、チームは語れない。(Without his presence, the team can't be spoken of.)
• 一部の例外を除いて、規則は全員に適用される。(Except for a few exceptions, the rule applies to everyone.)

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① The core is ‘setting aside, leaving out some factor (not considering it),' often for ‘setting ～ aside, back to the point.' This is 「を抜きにして」's key feel. 「抜く」 = pull out, remove; 「〜を抜きにして」 = “pulling ～ this factor out, setting it aside, not counting it.” It's most often for “setting some (distracting, secondary) factor — jokes, emotion, pleasantries, flattery — aside, getting back to the serious／essential”: 冗談を抜きにして (jokes aside = talking seriously), お世辞を抜きにして (flattery aside = speaking honestly), 感情を抜きにして (emotion aside = looking rationally). Test: to say “setting ～ (this factor) aside／not considering it” → を抜きにして.

② The correlative negative 「〜を抜きにしては〜ない」 = ‘without ～ one can't…, it doesn't work without ～.' This is an important pattern of 「を抜きにして.」 「〜を抜きにしては〜ない」 means “(if) you pull ～ out, you can't… = it doesn't work without ～, ～ is indispensable,” stressing some factor's indispensability: 彼の功績を抜きにしては、この歴史は語れない (without his achievements, this history can't be told), 地元の支援を抜きにしては成り立たない (it doesn't hold without local support). It actually uses “without ～ it won't do” to stress “～ is important, indispensable.” Test: to stress “without ～ it doesn't work, one can't… without ～” → 〜を抜きにしては〜ない.

③ Separate it from 「を除いて」 — を抜きにして = setting a factor aside (not considering), を除いて = except ～ (an exception). Both have a “exclude” feel, but differ in emphasis. 「〜を抜きにして」 = setting ～ aside, leaving ～ out (taking some factor out of ‘consideration, premises,' not considering it): 感情を抜きにして判断する (judge setting emotion aside — taking the “emotion” factor out of consideration). It leans “not considering some (distracting) factor, setting it aside.” 「〜を除いて」 = except ～ (excluding some objects as ‘exceptions,' see 〈を除く〉): 日曜日を除いて、毎日営業する (open every day except Sunday — excluding “Sunday” as an exception), 彼を除いて全員賛成 (all agree except him). It leans “except ～ (an exception), the rest….” Difference: 「を抜きにして」 leans “setting aside, not considering some factor” (冗談を抜きにして = talking seriously); 「を除いて」 leans “except ～ (an exception)” (彼を除いて全員, see 〈を除く〉). Test: to say “setting ～ aside／not considering some factor” → を抜きにして; to say “except ～ (an exception)” → を除いて.

🔄 Compare with similar forms: を抜きにして／を除いて／抜きで／は別として

💡 Learning tip

「〜を抜きにして／〜を除いて」 = setting ～ aside, leaving ～ out, excluding — three points: ① を抜きにして = setting aside, leaving out some (distracting) factor — often for “setting jokes／emotion／pleasantries aside, back to the point／essence” (冗談を抜きにして = talking seriously); ② the correlative negative 「を抜きにしては〜ない」 = without ～ it doesn't work (using “without ～ it won't do” to stress a factor's indispensability); ③ separate it from 「を除いて (except ～, an exception, see 〈を除く〉)」. This set is very practical — in a meeting or discussion, to say “setting this aside, let's talk business,” 「冗談を抜きにして／前置きを抜きにして」 is crispest; to stress that someone or something “without it, it doesn't work,” use 「〜を抜きにしては語れない.」 For a plain “except ～ (an exception),” use 「を除いて」 (see 〈を除く〉).

❓ Questions you might have

Q: What's the difference between 「を抜きにして」 and 「を除いて」? Both ‘exclude'?

The difference is ‘setting a factor aside (not considering)' vs ‘except ～ (an exception).' 「〜を抜きにして」 = setting ～ aside, leaving ～ out (taking some factor out of ‘consideration, premises,' not considering it): its point is “setting some (distracting, secondary) factor aside, not counting it, not considering it,” often for “setting ～ aside, back to the point／essence”: 冗談を抜きにして、真剣に話そう (jokes aside, let's talk seriously — taking the “jokes” factor out), 感情を抜きにして判断する (judge setting emotion aside — not considering the emotion factor). It targets “some factor to set aside and not consider.” 「〜を除いて」 = except ～ (excluding some objects as ‘exceptions,' see 〈を除く〉): its point is “except these ～ exception(s), all the rest…,” targeting “the exception objects to exclude”: 日曜日を除いて毎日営業 (open every day except Sunday — Sunday as the exception), 彼を除いて全員参加 (all participate except him). Difference: 「を抜きにして」 = setting some (distracting) factor aside, not considering it (back to the point); 「を除いて」 = except ～ (an exception), the rest… (see 〈を除く〉). Test: to say “setting ～ (a factor) aside／not considering it” → を抜きにして (冗談を抜きにして = talking seriously); to say “except ～ (an exception)” → を除いて (日曜を除いて = except Sunday).

Q: What does 「彼を抜きにしては語れない」 mean?

「彼を抜きにしては語れない」 = “without him, one can't speak of it = in speaking of this, he's indispensable, one can't leave him out.” This is an important pattern of 「を抜きにして,」 「〜を抜きにしては〜ない,」 literally “(if) you pull ～ out, you can't…,” actually using “without ～ it won't do” to inversely stress “～ is important, indispensable.” So 「彼を抜きにしては語れない」 isn't “don't talk about him,” but “(in speaking of this) without him it doesn't work, he must be mentioned” — stressing his importance: 日本のアニメを抜きにしては、現代のポップカルチャーは語れない (without Japanese anime, modern pop culture can't be discussed — stressing anime's importance), 地元の協力を抜きにしては、この祭りは成り立たない (without local cooperation, this festival can't be held). Test: on seeing 「〜を抜きにしては〜ない,」 read it as “without ～ it doesn't work, one can't… without ～ (= ～ is indispensable),” using “without ～ it won't do” to stress a factor's importance. It's opposite in direction to a plain “setting ～ aside (を抜きにして)” — a plain 「を抜きにして」 really sets aside, while 「を抜きにしては〜ない」 is “(precisely because it's important,) setting it aside won't do.”

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「前置き___、結論から話します。」(skipping the preamble)

(A) を抜きにして　(B) をめぐって　(C) において　(D) にとって

Q2. 「お世辞抜きで」の意味は?

(A) No flattery (honest words)

(B) Full of flattery

(C) Refusing praise

(D) No opinion

Q3. 「彼を抜きにしては成功しなかった」の意味は?

(A) Without his (help) it wouldn't have succeeded

(B) He hindered the success

(C) He's unrelated to the success

(D) Succeeded by excluding him

Q4. 「を抜きにして」の語感は?

(A) Setting aside / omitting (not considering a certain element)

(B) Concerning ~

(C) For the sake of ~

(D) Along with ~

Q5. 接法が正しいのは?

(A) 余計な話は抜きにして本題に入る。　(B) 話を抜きにしてのに。

(C) 話が抜きにする。　(D) 話だ抜きにして。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) を抜きにして ── skipping the preamble.

2. (A) ── no flattery (honest words).

3. (A) ── without him it wouldn't have succeeded.

4. (A) ── setting aside / omitting.

5. (A) ── 「余計な話は抜きにして」 is correct.