“tonikaku・to mo kaku”: Anyway / Setting 〜 Aside [JLPT N3]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
Setting a side issue aside to do what matters first
「細かいことは後で。とにかく始めよう」 — 「とにかく・ともかく」, anyway / setting ~ aside
「細かいことは後で。とにかく始めよう」 (details later — anyway, let's just get started) — 「とにかく・ともかく」 are for setting aside secondary matters and dealing with what's essential first: とにかく = “anyway, in any case” (urging action / stressing the point); (noun) ＋ はともかく = “setting ~ aside, ~ aside for now.” This guide covers this “focus and act first” set, and separates it from 「とりあえず／それはさておき」.
Core: put the details aside, focus on the point/action
Their core is “shelving the secondary, prioritizing the point”:
- とにかく = anyway, in any case (never mind those, anyway just … do it) (urging action or emphasis): 理由はいい。とにかくやってみよう (never mind the reason — anyway, let's give it a try).
- (noun) ＋ はともかく = ~ aside (shelving one item, addressing another): 値段はともかく、品質はいい (price aside, the quality is good).
Feel: “shelve the branch matters, focus on the essential” — とにかく urges action, はともかく sets aside.
How to Connect
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| とにかく ＋ sentence | anyway, in any case | とにかく始めよう |
| noun ＋ はともかく | ~ aside | 値段はともかく |
| ともかく (alone) | a more formal とにかく | ともかく、行こう |
Example sentences
- 細かいことは後で。とにかく始めよう。(Details later — anyway, let's get started.) — urging action
- 理由はどうあれ、とにかく謝るべきだ。(Whatever the reason, you should apologize anyway.) — stressing action
- 彼の性格はともかく、仕事の実力は誰もが認めている。(His personality aside, everyone acknowledges his work ability.) — setting aside
- 結果はともかく、過程が大切だ。(The result aside, the process matters.) — setting aside
- 難しいかどうかはともかく、まずやってみよう。(Whether it's hard aside, let's just try it first.) — setting aside
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
① To shelve an item, 「ともかく」 needs 「noun ＋ は ＋ ともかく」. For “~ aside,” say 「noun は ともかく」 (値段はともかく = price aside, それはともかく = that aside), not 「ともかく」 alone. 「ともかく」 alone = a more formal 「とにかく (anyway)」. So 「はともかく」 (shelving) and 「ともかく」 (anyway) differ in use.
② Interference from Chinese ‘總之' (sum up vs never mind). Chinese “總之” maps to two Japanese senses: ① to sum up (＝要するに／結局) — 要するに、お金がないということだ (in short, there's no money); ② no matter what, just … (＝とにかく) — とにかくやってみよう (anyway, let's try). 「とにかく」 is “no matter what, just …,” not “to sum up.” For summing up use 「要するに」, for acting first use 「とにかく」.
③ 「とにかく」 (act first/emphasis) vs 「とりあえず」 (for now, tentatively). とにかく = anyway, in any case (stressing ‘never mind else, just …,' stronger tone) (とにかく謝れ = just apologize, anyway); とりあえず = for now, tentatively (a stopgap/temporary move, to be dealt with properly later, lighter tone) (とりあえずビール = beer for now (order the rest later), とりあえず連絡しておく = contact them for now). とにかく is “no matter what, emphatic,” とりあえず is “for now, a stopgap.”
🔄 Compare: とにかく／はともかく／とりあえず／それはさておき
| Form | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| とにかく | anyway, in any case (act/emphasis) | とにかくやろう |
| 〜はともかく | ~ aside (shelving an item) | 値段はともかく |
| とりあえず | for now, tentatively (stopgap) | とりあえずビール |
| それはさておき | that aside (turn to the main point) | それはさておき、本題だ |
💡 Learning tip
「とにかく・はともかく」 are handy for focusing and acting first. Two of them: ① とにかく = anyway, in any case — “never mind those branch matters, anyway just … (do it),” urging action or stressing the point (理由はいい、とにかくやろう = never mind the reason, let's just do it); ② (noun) ＋ はともかく = ~ aside, setting ~ aside — shelving one item to address another (値段はともかく品質はいい = price aside, the quality's good). Three cautions: ① to shelve an item use 「noun はともかく」 (not ともかく alone); ② don't confuse it with Chinese ‘總之 (sum up)' — “to sum up” is 要するに, “no matter what, just …” is とにかく; ③ separate it from 「とりあえず (for now, stopgap)」 — とにかく stresses “no matter what,” とりあえず is “for now.” To “shelve the branches, focus on the point/action,” this set rolls off best.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: How do I tell 「とにかく」 from 「とりあえず」? (both carry a sense of ‘first')
By “no matter what, emphatic” vs “for now, a stopgap.” 「とにかく」 = anyway, in any case (stressing ‘never mind else, just …,' a stronger, firmer tone, often urging action or showing resolve): とにかく、やってみないと分からない (anyway, you won't know unless you try — stressing acting first), 理由はどうあれ、とにかく行動しろ (whatever the reason, just act — strong urging), とにかく無事でよかった (anyway, glad you're safe — emphasis). Its point is “setting other considerations aside, just …” 「とりあえず」 = for now, tentatively (a ‘temporary, stopgap' move, the proper thing later, lighter tone): とりあえず、ビールでいいや (beer for now (order the rest later) — a stopgap), とりあえず、メールで連絡しておきます (I'll contact you by email for now — a temporary measure), 詳しくは後で、とりあえず要点だけ (details later — for now just the key points). Its point is “do a temporary thing first, handle it properly later.” So: “no matter what, just … (emphatic, firm)” → とにかく; “for now, a stopgap (temporary)” → とりあえず. 「とにかく謝れ」 = just apologize, no matter what (strong); 「とりあえず謝っておこう」 = let's apologize for now (temporary, stopgap). One is firm emphasis, the other a for-now stopgap.
Q: Are 「ともかく」 and 「とにかく」 the same? And what is 「はともかく」?
Two cases: ① 「ともかく」 alone = a more formal, written 「とにかく (anyway, in any case)」: ともかく、始めましょう (anyway, let's begin — a touch more formal than とにかく), ともかく、無事でよかった (anyway, glad you're safe). Here ともかく ≒ とにかく, just slightly more formal. ② 「(noun) ＋ はともかく」 = ~ aside, setting ~ aside for now (shelving one item, turning to another): 見た目はともかく、味は最高だ (looks aside, the taste is top — shelving looks, addressing taste), 勝ち負けはともかく、全力を尽くした (win or lose aside, I gave it my all), 私のことはともかく、君は大丈夫？ (never mind me — are you okay?). This 「はともかく」 sets the earlier item aside without dwelling on it, putting the weight on the latter. So: 「ともかく」 alone = anyway (≒ とにかく, more formal); 「noun はともかく」 = ~ aside (shelving an item). The difference is whether there's a preceding 「noun は」 — with it, “shelve that item”; without it, “anyway.” Exams often test this distinction.
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「細かいことは後で。___始めよう。」(Anyway, let's just get started)
(A) とにかく (B) わざと (C) せっかく (D) もともと
Q2. 「値段___、品質は確かだ。」(Setting price aside for now)
(A) はともかく (B) によって (C) について (D) にとって
Q3. 「結果はともかく、過程が大切だ」の意味は?
(A) Never mind the result—what matters is the process
(B) The result matters most
(C) The process doesn't matter
(D) Neither result nor process matters
Q4. 「とにかく」の語感は?
(A) Anyway / in any case (emphasizing the main point or acting first)
(B) On purpose
(C) Occasionally
(D) Originally
Q5. 用法が自然なのは?
(A) 理由はともかく、まず謝ろう。 (B) とにかくの値段。
(C) 結果とにかく大切だ。 (D) はともかくとにかく。
Answer Explanations
1. (A) とにかく ── Anyway, let's start first.
2. (A) はともかく ── Setting price aside for now.
3. (A) ── Never mind the result; the process matters.
4. (A) ── Anyway / in any case.
5. (A) ── 「理由はともかく」 (setting the reason aside) is natural.