Grammar › N3 · 08 Opinion, necessity & cannot-help

〜しかない: have no choice but to

N3 · 08 Opinion, necessity & cannot-help

Says that the only option left is to do something.

Verb dictionary form + しかない. Often means "there is nothing else to do". 待つしかない. Variants: 〜よりほかない, 〜ほかない. Stronger and plainer than 〜ざるを得ない.

Examples

終電しゅうでんに乗のれなかったので、歩あるいて帰かえるしかない。

I missed the last train, so I have no choice but to walk home.

ここまで来きたら、やるしかありません。

Now that we have come this far, we just have to do it.