This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

こうするほかに手はなかったんだ。

Sentence Analyzer

こう する ほか なかった

English Translation

What else could I have done?

Furigana

こうするほかに()はなかったんだ。

Romanji

Kō suru hoka ni te wa nakatta n da.

Words

斯う (こう)
in this way (used for something or someone close to the speaker, including the speaker himself, or for the opinions of the speaker); thus; such; uh... (interjection used as a verbal pause)
為る (する)
to do; to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into); to serve as; to act as; to work as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.); to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as; to decide on; to choose; to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.); to be (in a state, condition, etc.); to be worth; to cost; to pass (of time); to elapse; verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs"); creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go"); to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to
(ほか)
other (place, thing, person); the rest; outside; beyond; nothing except; nothing but; nothing apart from; nothing aside from; no choice (but to); besides...; in addition to...
()
at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although
()
hand; arm; forepaw; foreleg; handle; hand; worker; help; trouble; care; effort; means; way; trick; move; technique; workmanship; hand; handwriting; kind; type; sort; one's hands; one's possession; ability to cope; hand (of cards); direction; move (in go, shogi, etc.)
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
無い (ない)
nonexistent; not being (there); unpossessed; unowned; not had; unique; indicates negation, inexperience, unnecessariness or impossibility; not ...; to not be...; to have not ...
()
yes; yeah; uh huh; negative verb ending used in informal speech (abbr. of negative verb ending "nu"); abbr. of particle "no"; abbr. of particle "ni" (used especially when it precedes the verb "naru")
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

Kanji

Readings: シュ、 ズ、 て、 て-、 -て、 た-
Meaning: hand