“〜wa tomokaku・wa sateoki”: Setting 〜 Aside / Never Mind 〜 [JLPT N3]

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

Putting one matter aside to deal with another first

「冗談はさておき、結論から話そう」 — 「はともかく・はさておき」, setting ~ aside for now

Someone cracks a joke in a meeting, and the chair steers back on track: 「冗談はさておき、まずは結論から話します」 (joking aside, let me start with the conclusion) — 「noun ＋ はともかく／はさておき」 means “setting something aside, dealing with/discussing something else first”: ~ aside, leaving ~ for now. This guide covers this “shelve one item, focus on the point” set, and separates it from 「を別として／に関係なく」 (the plain “anyway” とにかく: see the 〈とにかく〉 guide).

Core: exclude one item, focus on the point

The core of 「はともかく・はさておき」 is “shelving one item, focusing on the point” — setting aside the secondary, contentious, or tangential thing (looks, price, a joke), putting the weight on the latter:

• はともかく (shelving one item): 見た目はともかく、味は本当においしい (looks aside, the taste is really good).
• はさておき (setting ~ aside, often turning to the main topic): 冗談はさておき、本題に入ろう (joking aside, let's get to the main point).

Feel: “~ aside / setting ~ aside” — excluding one item, focusing on the latter's point.

How to Connect

Examples in use

• 見た目はともかく、味は本当においしい。(Looks aside, the taste is really good.) — shelving looks
• 冗談はさておき、まずは結論から話します。(Joking aside, let me start with the conclusion.) — turn to the main point
• 忙しいかどうかはともかく、電話ぐらいはしてほしかった。(Busy or not aside, I wish you'd at least called.) — shelving
• 結果はともかく、全力を尽くしたことが大事だ。(The result aside, what matters is that you gave your all.) — shelving the result
• 細かい話はさておき、大枠から確認しましょう。(Details aside, let's check the big picture first.) — turn to the point

⚠️ Easy traps to avoid

① The particle is 「は」, not 「を」. ✗ 結果をはともかく → ✓ 結果はともかく. The noun before 「はともかく／はさておき」 takes 「は」 (結果はともかく, それはさておき), not 「を」. A common particle error.

② Nominalize a question (〜か／〜かどうか ＋ はともかく). To shelve “whether …,” first nominalize with 「か／かどうか」, then attach はともかく: 行くかどうかはともかく (whether to go aside), 正しいかはともかく (whether it's right aside). ✗ 行くはともかく (attaching a verb plain form directly to は is unnatural — nominalize first).

③ 「はさておき」 vs 「はともかく」 subtle difference. Very close (both shelve an item), differing thus: はさておき = ‘setting one item aside,' often to ‘turn to the main topic' (冗談はさておき、本題だ = joking aside, to the main point); はともかく = ‘~ aside,' often for ‘contrast, concession' (見た目はともかく味はいい = looks aside, the taste is good). はさておき leans “turning to the point,” はともかく leans “stepping back, contrast.” Also note 「ともかく」 alone = “anyway (＝とにかく)” — see the 〈とにかく〉 guide.

🔄 Compare: はともかく／はさておき／を別として／に関係なく

💡 How to remember this

「はともかく・はさておき」 are handy for shelving the secondary and focusing on the point — set aside looks/price/a joke and address what really matters (見た目はともかく味はいい = looks aside, the taste is good; 冗談はさておき本題だ = joking aside, to the point). In detail: はさておき leans ‘turning to the main topic' (setting a tangent aside, back to the subject); はともかく leans ‘stepping back, contrast' (conceding one item is imperfect, stressing another). Three points: ① the particle is は (✗ を); ② nominalize a question (行くかどうかはともかく); ③ 「ともかく」 alone = anyway (see 〈とにかく〉). To “shelve one item, focus on the point,” this set rolls off best.

❓ Questions you might have

Q: How do I tell 「はともかく」 from 「はさておき」?

Very close (both “set an item aside, leave it for now”), differing in feel and setting. 「はともかく」 = ~ aside, leaving ~ for now (often for ‘stepping back, contrast': conceding one item has issues/is imperfect, putting the weight on another): 値段はともかく、品質は最高だ (price aside, the quality is top — conceding it's pricey, stressing quality), 勝ち負けはともかく、いい試合だった (win or lose aside, it was a good match), 下手はともかく、一生懸命さは伝わる (clumsiness aside, the effort comes through). It carries the contrast/concession of “A (that item) may be …, but B (the point) …” 「はさておき」 = setting ~ aside (often to ‘turn to the main topic': shelving the tangential, secondary, returning to/entering the subject): 冗談はさておき、そろそろ本題に入りましょう (joking aside, let's get to the main point — from chit-chat to the topic), 前置きはさておき、結論を言います (preamble aside, here's the conclusion), 私のことはさておき、君の話を聞かせて (never mind me, tell me about you). It carries the turn of “setting A the tangent/secondary aside, focusing on the topic.” So: “~ aside (stepping back, contrasting another item)” → はともかく; “setting ~ aside (turn to the main point)” → はさておき. Often interchangeable, but はさておき is more for “back to the point,” はともかく more for “concession, contrast.”

Q: Are 「ともかく」 and 「はともかく」 the same?

No — the difference is whether there's a preceding 「(noun) は」, and the meanings differ: ① 「(noun) はともかく」 = shelve one item, ~ aside (preceded by noun ＋ は): 見た目はともかく、味はいい (looks aside, the taste is good), それはともかく、次の話だ (that aside, on to the next). It shelves ‘that item.' ② 「ともかく」 alone = anyway, in any case (＝ a more formal とにかく) (no preceding noun は, used sentence-initially): ともかく、始めましょう (anyway, let's begin), ともかく、無事でよかった (anyway, glad you're safe). It's “never mind else, anyway ….” So the test: a preceding 「noun は」 → はともかく (shelving an item); sentence-initial alone → ともかく (anyway). The difference is whether there's that shelved 「noun は」 in front. For the plain “anyway, act first” とにかく／ともかく use, see the 〈とにかく〉 guide.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「___、まずは結論から話します。」(setting the joke aside, state the conclusion first)

(A) 冗談はさておき　(B) 冗談によって　(C) 冗談について　(D) 冗談にとって

Q2. 「はさておき」がよく一緒に使われるのは?

(A) 本題に入る（getting to the point）　(B) 命令する　(C) 質問する　(D) 感謝する

Q3. 「見た目はともかく、味はいい」の意味は?

(A) Setting looks aside, the taste is good

(B) Both looks and taste are good

(C) Only looking at appearance

(D) The taste is bad

Q4. 「はともかく」の語感は?

(A) Setting one item aside for now (leaving it out of consideration)

(B) Emphasizing an item

(C) Because of an item

(D) For the sake of an item

Q5. 接法が正しいのは?

(A) 結果はともかく、よく頑張った。　(B) 結果をはともかく。

(C) 結果はさておきの味。　(D) はともかく結果。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) 冗談はさておき ── set the joke aside, back to business.

2. (A) 本題に入る ── often paired with 'getting to the point'.

3. (A) ── setting looks aside, the taste is good.

4. (A) ── setting aside for now (shelving one item).

5. (A) ── 「noun＋はともかく」 is correct.