目錄
Japanese 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」 means “without…,” “leaving out…,” or “setting aside…,” and is often used to remove a particular element from a topic or situation. It does not simply mean that something is absent. In many cases, it also carries the sense of “putting aside the pleasantries and getting straight to the point.”
For example, 「冗談抜きで」 does not simply mean “without jokes”; it means “seriously” or “I’m being serious.” Likewise, 「お世辞抜きで」 is not a cold way of saying “without flattery,” but rather “I’m not just being polite—I really mean it.” This article explains the attachment patterns and nuances of 「ぬきで」「抜きにして」「は抜きにして」, as well as why removing jokes or polite formalities can make a sentence sound more direct.
How is 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」 used? Core nuance and directness
「ぬき」 comes from 「抜く」 and has a noun-like sense of “removing” or “taking something out.” In a sentence, it can exclude elements such as “sugar, green onions, jokes, flattery, or work-related topics,” making what follows more clearly focused.
| Common expression | Meaning | Nuance |
| 冗談抜きで | No joking; seriously | Very direct |
| お世辞抜きで | Not just being polite | A sincere compliment |
| 仕事の話は抜きにして | Let’s leave work out of it | Temporarily excludes a topic |
| 砂糖抜きでお願いします | Please leave out the sugar | Omits a specific item |
「ぬきで」 can be used with both concrete and abstract elements, while 「は抜きにして」 is often used to temporarily set a particular topic aside. The former is closer to “with something removed,” while the latter is closer to “let’s leave this out of the discussion for now.”
How does 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」 attach? Basic patterns and key differences
「ぬきで」 follows a noun and indicates that something is absent or that a particular element has been omitted. 「は抜きにして」 also follows a noun, but it is more often used in discussions to temporarily exclude a condition, status, topic, or emotion.
| Pattern | Example | Example sentence | Meaning |
| Noun＋抜きで | 砂糖抜きで | 砂糖抜きでお願いします | Without sugar |
| Noun＋抜きにして | 冗談抜きにして | 冗談抜きにして話す | Speak without joking |
| Noun＋は抜きにして | 仕事の話は抜きにして | 仕事の話は抜きにして | Leave work out of the discussion for now |
| Noun＋抜きの＋Noun | 肉抜きの料理 | 肉抜きの料理 | A dish without meat |
The key difference is that 「ぬきで」 tends to describe a state or manner, while 「は抜きにして」 tends to establish what is being excluded from the discussion. When ordering at a restaurant, expressions such as 「砂糖抜きで」 and 「ネギ抜きで」 are common. When discussing something, expressions such as 「冗談は抜きにして」 and 「感情論は抜きにして」 are more typical.
Usage ① of 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」｜Leaving something out or excluding an element
This is the most basic usage and is common when ordering food, making everyday requests, or using services. The noun before the expression is the element being omitted, while the rest of the action proceeds as usual.
- Example: 砂糖抜きでお願いします。
Kana: さとうぬきでおねがいします。
Translation: Please leave out the sugar.
This is commonly used when ordering a drink. 「抜きで」 indicates that sugar is being removed from the order. - Example: ネギ抜きのラーメンはできますか。
Kana: ネギぬきのラーメンはできますか。
Translation: Can you make the ramen without green onions?
「抜きの」 modifies the noun that follows and indicates that a particular ingredient is not included. - Example: 説明抜きで始めると、全員が混乱します。
Kana: せつめいぬきではじめると、ぜんいんがこんらんします。
Translation: If you start without explaining anything, everyone will be confused.
Here, what is omitted is the abstract element of “explanation,” rather than a physical object.
Usage ② of 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」｜Putting aside jokes or pleasantries and getting straight to the point
「冗談抜きで」 and 「お世辞抜きで」 are very common fixed expressions. They make what follows sound more genuine, signaling to the listener that what comes next is neither a joke nor mere politeness.
- Example: 冗談抜きで、早く病院に行ったほうがいいです。
Kana: じょうだんぬきで、はやくびょういんにいったほうがいいです。
Translation: Seriously, you should go to the hospital soon.
「冗談抜きで」 shifts the tone from joking to a serious warning. - Example: お世辞抜きで、この料理は本当においしいです。
Kana: おせじぬきで、このりょうりはほんとうにおいしいです。
Translation: I’m not just being polite—this dish is really delicious.
Adding 「お世辞抜きで」 to a compliment makes it sound more like a sincere opinion rather than a social courtesy. - Example: 遠慮抜きで、意見を言ってください。
Kana: えんりょぬきで、いけんをいってください。
Translation: Don’t hold back—please tell me what you think.
This is common in meetings or discussions and expresses the desire for the other person to speak openly rather than simply say something agreeable.
Usage ③ of 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」｜Temporarily setting aside a topic or condition
「は抜きにして」 is often used in discussions to put a particular factor aside for the time being. This does not necessarily mean rejecting that factor altogether; it simply means not including it in the current judgment or discussion.
- Example: 仕事の話は抜きにして、今日はゆっくりしましょう。
Kana: しごとのはなしはぬきにして、きょうはゆっくりしましょう。
Translation: Let’s leave work out of it and relax today.
The topic of work is temporarily removed so that the focus returns to relaxing or spending time together. - Example: 感情論は抜きにして、事実だけを確認しましょう。
Kana: かんじょうろんはぬきにして、じじつだけをかくにんしましょう。
Translation: Let’s set emotions aside and look only at the facts.
This is common in formal discussions and means temporarily excluding emotional judgments. - Example: 年齢は抜きにして、実力で判断したいです。
Kana: ねんれいはぬきにして、じつりょくではんだんしたいです。
Translation: I’d like to set age aside and judge based on ability.
Here, age is temporarily excluded as a condition so that the focus can remain on ability.
What is the difference between 「ぬきで」「は抜きにして」 and 「なしで」?
Both 「ぬきで」 and 「なしで」 can indicate the absence of something, but 「ぬきで」 has a stronger sense that a particular element has been deliberately removed. 「なしで」 is more general. 「は抜きにして」, meanwhile, tends to be used when excluding a particular topic or condition from a discussion.
| Comparison | ぬきで | は抜きにして | なしで |
| Core nuance | Deliberately omit or remove an element | Temporarily exclude a topic or condition | Without; not using |
| Common situations | Ordering food, direct statements | Discussions, meetings, shifts in tone | General descriptions |
| Tone | Natural and usable in conversation | Somewhat formal or discussion-oriented | Neutral |
| Typical combinations | 砂糖抜きで、冗談抜きで | 感情論は抜きにして | 辞書なしで |
| Common mistake | Using ぬき for every type of “without” | Sounds overly roundabout for a simple order | Lacks the sense of deliberate exclusion |
▌When leaving out a specific ingredient, 「ぬきで」 is more natural than 「は抜きにして」
✅ 砂糖抜きでお願いします。
△ 砂糖は抜きにしてください。
When ordering, simply using 「Noun＋抜きで」 is usually enough. 「は抜きにして」 can sound as though you are discussing conditions, making it more roundabout.
▌When excluding a topic from a discussion, 「は抜きにして」 is clearer
✅ 感情論は抜きにして話しましょう。
△ 感情論なしで話しましょう。
「は抜きにして」 clearly indicates that emotional arguments should be set aside for the moment, making it suitable for meetings or negotiations.
▌When you simply did not use a tool, 「なしで」 is more natural
✅ 辞書なしで読みました。
△ 辞書抜きで読みました。
If you are simply saying that you read something without using a dictionary, 「なしで」 is more natural. 「抜きで」 can suggest that the dictionary was deliberately excluded.
Real-life and workplace situations: dialogue examples with Japanese 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」
「ぬきで／はぬきにして」 is common in everyday life and also useful in the workplace. At a restaurant, it can be used to ask for something to be left out. Among friends, it can remove jokes or polite formalities. In meetings, it can temporarily put emotions or status aside so that the discussion focuses only on the facts.
▌Situation ①｜Ordering a drink at a café
A：アイスコーヒーを一つお願いします。砂糖抜きで。
アイスコーヒーをひとつおねがいします。さとうぬきで。
One iced coffee, please. No sugar.
B：はい、砂糖抜きですね。
はい、さとうぬきですね。
Sure, no sugar.
📌 Grammar Point: 「砂糖抜きで」 is a natural way to ask for a specific ingredient to be left out when ordering.
▌Situation ②｜Giving a friend serious advice
A：最近、ずっと寝不足なんです。
さいきん、ずっとねぶそくなんです。
I’ve been sleep-deprived lately.
B：冗談抜きで、少し休んだほうがいいです。
じょうだんぬきで、すこしやすんだほうがいいです。
Seriously, you should get some rest.
📌 Grammar Point: 「冗談抜きで」 shifts the tone from casual conversation to a serious warning.
▌Situation ③｜Returning to the facts in a meeting
A：この案には反対意見も多いですね。
このあんにははんたいいけんもおおいですね。
There are quite a few objections to this proposal.
B：感情論は抜きにして、数字を確認しましょう。
かんじょうろんはぬきにして、すうじをかくにんしましょう。
Let’s set emotions aside and check the numbers.
📌 Grammar Point: 「感情論は抜きにして」 is suitable for bringing a discussion back to objective data.
Cultural Notes:
- Japanese has many expressions that soften the tone of a statement, but 「冗談抜きで」 and 「お世辞抜きで」 work in the opposite direction: they remove the cushioning and make what follows sound more direct.
- 「遠慮抜きで」 is not inherently rude. It invites the other person to speak without hesitation. In the workplace, when paired with an appropriate tone, it can encourage more open discussion.
- 「は抜きにして」 often appears in situations where the issues being discussed need to be organized. It temporarily puts one factor aside, but does not imply that the factor is completely unimportant.
How does Japanese 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」 compare with Korean 「빼고／제외하고」?
In Korean, 「빼고」 can mean “leaving out” or “removing,” while 「제외하고」 is a more formal expression meaning “excluding.” They share the same basic idea as Japanese 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」: removing a particular element from the situation or sentence.
- Example: 농담 빼고 진짜 쉬는 게 좋아요.
Romanization: nong-dam ppae-go jin-jja swi-neun ge jo-a-yo.
Translation: Seriously, you should really get some rest.
This is close to Japanese 「冗談抜きで」. Both remove the joking element before making a serious statement. - Example: 감정은 제외하고 사실만 확인합시다.
Romanization: gam-jeong-eun je-oe-ha-go sa-sil-man hwa-gin-hap-si-da.
Translation: Let’s exclude emotions and check only the facts.
This is close to Japanese 「感情論は抜きにして」 and has a more formal tone.
◆ Core difference from 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」:
Korean 「빼고」 is more conversational, while 「제외하고」 is more formal. Japanese 「抜きで」 can be used both when ordering food and when making a direct statement, while 「は抜きにして」 is more like temporarily excluding a factor from a discussion. When translating, the choice depends on whether something concrete is being omitted, whether someone is speaking sincerely and directly, or whether a condition is being formally excluded.
The central idea behind Japanese 「ぬきで／はぬきにして」 is that something is removed before the speaker continues. Leaving out sugar or green onions is an everyday request; 「冗談抜きで」 and 「お世辞抜きで」 remove jokes and social niceties; 「感情論は抜きにして」 brings a discussion back to the facts. The pattern itself is not difficult, but it has a clear directional nuance. Once you identify what is being “removed,” it becomes much easier to interpret.
Common FAQs
「ぬきで」 means “without something,” “with a certain element omitted,” or “without a certain condition.” It normally follows a noun. For example, 「砂糖抜きで」 means without sugar, while 「冗談抜きで」 means without joking. A useful way to interpret it is to first identify what is being removed. When the omitted element is an ingredient, a joke, a polite formality, an explanation, or something similar, 「ぬきで」 is often appropriate. If something is simply absent without any sense of deliberate exclusion, 「なしで」 may be more natural.
「ぬきで」 tends to describe a state or manner, as in 「砂糖抜きでお願いします」 when ordering. 「は抜きにして」 is more often used to temporarily exclude a topic or condition from a discussion. For example, 「仕事の話は抜きにして」 means leaving work-related talk aside, while 「感情論は抜きにして」 means not including emotional arguments in the discussion. If the noun is a concrete item, 「ぬきで」 is often shorter and more natural. If it refers to a topic, position, or condition, 「は抜きにして」 is usually clearer.
「冗談抜きで」 means speaking seriously rather than joking and is often used to signal that something genuinely matters. 「お世辞抜きで」 means that a compliment is sincere rather than mere politeness. Both expressions make what follows sound more direct, so they are not usually placed before something extremely trivial. 「冗談抜きで、病院に行ったほうがいい」 has the force of a serious warning, while 「お世辞抜きで、上手です」 makes the compliment sound less like a social courtesy.
In some sentences they can have similar meanings, but their nuances differ. 「なしで」 is a general expression meaning “without” or “not using,” so 「辞書なしで読む」 sounds natural. 「ぬきで」 has a stronger sense of deliberately removing an element, as in 「砂糖抜きで」 or 「説明抜きで」. If the main point is that a tool was simply not used, 「なしで」 is usually more natural. If the emphasis is on deliberately leaving out an ingredient or topic, 「ぬきで」 is more precise.
Yes, but it depends on the combination. 「砂糖抜きで」 is an everyday expression used when ordering, while 「感情論は抜きにして」 and 「立場は抜きにして」 can be used in meetings or formal discussions. In formal settings, care should be taken not to sound overly forceful. For example, 「冗談抜きで」 is natural in conversation but may sound somewhat conversational in a highly formal written document. In writing, more formal expressions such as 「〜を除いて」 or 「〜を除外して」 may be used instead.