～は別として

Japanese Grammar Advanced Japanese ★★★ 3/5 neutral はべつとしてwa betsu to shite
Reading はべつとして
Romaji wa betsu to shite
Formation Noun + は別として / Clause (plain form) + かどうかは別として
Kanji breakdown 別 — separate, different

Meaning

A phrase meaning 'setting aside' or 'apart from.' It is used to exclude or bracket one item or issue so the speaker can focus on the main point.

は別として allows the speaker to temporarily exclude a particular element from the discussion in order to address the rest. It can be used to set aside an exception, an irrelevant point, or something the speaker does not want to commit to evaluating. The excluded item is often something obvious, contentious, or simply not the focus. It is close in meaning to はともかく but slightly more formal. The pattern can also appear as は別にして with the same meaning. Learners sometimes confuse it with を除いて (excluding), but は別として is softer — it brackets rather than eliminates, leaving open the possibility of returning to the excluded topic later.

Examples

  1. 冗談は別として、この件は早急に対処する必要がある。 Jokes aside, this matter needs to be addressed urgently.
  2. 味は別として、盛り付けの美しさには目を見張るものがあった。 Setting aside the taste, the beauty of the plating was truly impressive.
  3. 成功するかどうかは別として、まずは挑戦してみるべきだ。 Whether it succeeds or not aside, we should at least give it a try first.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, argumentative, business

Tone: objective

Do Say

  • 費用は別として、この計画の実現可能性を検討しよう。
  • 個人的な感情は別として、組織としての判断を優先すべきだ。
  • 結果は別として、全員が全力を尽くしたことは評価に値する。

Don't Say

  • 天気は別として、天気が悪かった。(Setting aside X and then immediately discussing X — は別として brackets the topic; bringing it back in the same sentence is contradictory) → 天気は別として、イベント自体は楽しかった。
  • 全ては別として、何も残らない。(Setting aside 'everything' — は別として needs a specific item to bracket; 'everything' defeats the purpose of selective exclusion) → 細かい問題は別として、全体的な方向性は正しい。

Origin & History

Composed of は (topic), 別 (べつ, separate/different), and として (as/considering). Literally 'treating X as separate,' it developed into a rhetorical device for bracketing one topic to focus on another.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

～だけ (extent) A particle meaning 'to the extent that someone can or wants to do something.' It expresses the idea of doing something as much as possible or to the fullest degree allowed. ～だけあって A phrase meaning 'as one would expect' or 'for good reason.' It indicates that a positive result or quality is natural given the background or effort involved. ～だけに A phrase carrying the idea 'precisely because' or 'as one would expect.' It highlights that a result — whether positive or negative — is particularly noteworthy given the circumstances. ～だけのことはある A phrase expressing an evaluative comment that something lives up to its reputation or that the effort, cost, or background has been worthwhile. It means 'it is worth the fact that' or 'it justifies the fact that.' ～ならでは（の） A phrase meaning 'unique to,' 'only possible with,' or 'impossible if not for.' It highlights something as a distinctive quality or experience exclusive to a particular person, place, or thing. ～のみならず A formal expression meaning 'not only... but also.' It is used in writing and formal speech to indicate that something extends beyond one scope to include additional elements. ～はいいとしても A phrase conveying 'even if we accept X, Y is still a problem.' It concedes one point while drawing attention to a more significant concern or objection. ～はおろか A phrase meaning 'let alone,' 'not to mention,' or 'far from.' It states that not only is a more expected thing true, but even a less expected thing is also true.
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