Reason, Cause, and Purpose
Forced Due to Circumstances
The pattern ～を余儀なくされる means that someone or something is forced to take an action or accept a situation because there is no other choice. It is a highly formal expression used in written Japanese, such as news reports and official statements. It carries a strong nuance of facing hardship, reluctance, or unavoidable external pressure.
01Main Functions
Unavoidable Actions
Indicates that the subject has no alternative but to accept a difficult or reluctant action, such as canceling an event or resigning from a position.
悪天候のため、試合の延期を余儀なくされた。
Due to bad weather, (they) were forced to postpone the match.
Strong External Pressure
Highlights the external circumstances—such as financial ruin, injury, or weather—that leave the subject with absolutely no other options.
怪我により、彼は引退を余儀なくされた。
Due to his injury, he was forced to retire.
Objective Reporting
Describes events in a highly objective, documentary tone, keeping the focus on the severity of the outcome rather than personal feelings.
新型ウイルスの影響で、多くのイベントが中止を余儀なくされた。
Due to the impact of the novel virus, many events were forced to be canceled.
02Sentence Pattern
noun + により、noun + を余儀なくされた
台風の接近により、イベントの中止を余儀なくされた。
Due to the approaching typhoon, (we) were forced to cancel the event.
Attaches to nouns that represent actions or decisions, such as 中止, meaning "cancellation".
noun + のため、noun + を余儀なくされた
資金不足のため、計画の変更を余儀なくされた。
Due to a lack of funds, (they) were forced to change the plan.
Often pairs with nouns indicating a sudden shift or negative outcome, like 変更, meaning "change".
noun + は + noun + を余儀なくされた
その会社は倒産を余儀なくされた。
That company was forced into bankruptcy.
The subject is the entity experiencing the unavoidable situation.
noun + が + noun + を余儀なくされている
長引く不況により、多くの店舗が閉店を余儀なくされている。
Due to the prolonged recession, many stores are being forced to close.
Can be used in the continuous form (されている) for an ongoing situation.
noun + からの + noun + を余儀なくされた
彼らは故郷からの避難を余儀なくされた。
They were forced to evacuate from their hometown.
Used to describe large-scale or serious personal hardships.
noun + で、noun + を余儀なくされた
突然の事故で、休学を余儀なくされた。
Because of a sudden accident, (I) was forced to take a leave of absence from school.
Highlights that the situation was not what the person wanted.
noun + により、noun + は + noun + を余儀なくされた
ストライキにより、工場は操業停止を余儀なくされた。
Due to the strike, the factory was forced to suspend operations.
Common in news broadcasts and formal writing.
03Example Sentences
台風の接近により、野外フェスティバルは中止を余儀なくされた。
Due to the approaching typhoon, the outdoor festival was forced to be canceled.
Attaches to the noun 中止 to show an unavoidable decision caused by severe weather.
大怪我により、その選手は若くして引退を余儀なくされた。
Due to a severe injury, that athlete was forced to retire at a young age.
Highlights the tragic nature of the retirement (引退) caused by an unavoidable physical circumstance.
売上の低迷により、その企業は海外市場からの撤退を余儀なくされた。
Due to sluggish sales, the company was forced to withdraw from the overseas market.
Used frequently in business contexts to objectively report a forced withdrawal (撤退) due to external pressures.
深刻な資金不足のため、計画の大幅な変更を余儀なくされた。
Because of a severe lack of funds, (they) were forced to make major changes to the plan.
Shows that the change (変更) was not desired but strictly necessary due to financial constraints.
急病のため、彼は大学の休学を余儀なくされた。
Due to a sudden illness, he was forced to take a leave of absence from the university.
Expresses that taking a leave of absence (休学) was an unavoidable outcome of an unexpected health issue.
激しい戦闘により、住民たちは故郷からの避難を余儀なくされた。
Due to the fierce fighting, the residents were forced to evacuate from their hometown.
A typical phrasing found in news reports describing forced evacuations (避難) due to conflict or disaster.
長引く不況の影響で、多くの老舗店舗が閉店を余儀なくされている。
Due to the effects of the prolonged recession, many long-established stores are being forced to close.
The continuous form されている indicates that these forced closures (閉店) are an ongoing, developing issue.
不祥事の責任を問われ、社長は辞任を余儀なくされた。
Held responsible for the scandal, the company president was forced to resign.
Used to describe formal resignations (辞任) resulting from intense external pressure and accountability.
大雪のため、本日のフライトはすべて欠航を余儀なくされた。
Due to heavy snow, all flights today were forced to be canceled.
A formal announcement style indicating that flight cancellations (欠航) were entirely beyond the airline's control.
部品の供給が途絶え、工場は一時的な生産停止を余儀なくされている。
With the supply of parts cut off, the factory is forced to temporarily suspend production.
Demonstrates a forced temporary suspension (一時的な生産停止) caused by severe supply chain disruptions.
大規模なシステム障害により、サービスの停止を余儀なくされた。
Due to a large-scale system failure, (they) were forced to suspend the service.
Often used in official corporate statements to explain a forced suspension (停止) of digital services.
火災によって工場が全焼し、そのメーカーは事業の縮小を余儀なくされた。
With its factory completely destroyed by fire, that manufacturer was forced to downsize its business.
Describes a forced business downsizing (縮小) due to a catastrophic and unavoidable event.
ビザの更新が認められず、彼女は帰国を余儀なくされた。
With her visa renewal denied, she was forced to return to her home country.
Shows a total lack of alternatives leading to a forced return to one's home country (帰国).
04Comparisons
～を余儀なくされる vs. ～ざるを得ない
Both patterns mean that someone is forced to do something because there are no other options. However, ～ざるを得ない attaches to verbs and can be used in both spoken and written contexts. In contrast, ～を余儀なくされる is highly formal, attaches directly to nouns, and is usually reserved for objective reporting in news or historical documents.
悪天候のため、試合の中止を余儀なくされた。
Due to bad weather, (they) were forced to cancel the match.
雨が降ってきたので、傘を買わざるを得なかった。
Because it started raining, (I) had no choice but to buy an umbrella.
～を余儀なくされる vs. ～を余儀なくさせる
Both forms express being forced into an unavoidable situation, but they differ in who or what the subject is. The passive ～を余儀なくされる is used when the subject is the victim experiencing the hardship. The causative ～を余儀なくさせる is used when the subject is the external circumstance (like a storm, crisis, or illness) that forces someone else into the situation.
不況により、その会社は倒産を余儀なくされた。
Due to the recession, the company was forced into bankruptcy.
長引く不況が、その会社に倒産を余儀なくさせた。
The prolonged recession forced the company into bankruptcy.
05Nuance and Usage
The grammar pattern ～を余儀なくされる conveys a strong sense of inevitability and hardship, describing a situation where someone is stripped of all options and forced to accept an undesirable outcome. Because of its heavy, objective tone, it is extremely common in news reports, historical documentaries, and official corporate statements.
Unlike conversational phrases such as ～なければならない, which focus on obligation, ～を余儀なくされる highlights the overwhelming power of external circumstances. The cause of the situation—whether it is a natural disaster, a financial crisis, or severe illness—is often explicitly stated early in the sentence using markers like ～のため or ～により.
It is important to remember that this pattern requires a noun to function. Most commonly, it attaches to two-kanji verbal nouns, such as 中止, meaning "cancellation", 延期, meaning "postponement", 撤退, meaning "withdrawal", or 辞任, meaning "resignation". This structural requirement reinforces its formal, written character.
06Core Explanation
The pattern ～を余儀なくされる means that someone or something is forced to take an action or accept a situation because there is no other choice.
The pattern ～を余儀なくされる is an advanced, formal expression used to indicate that someone is forced into an unavoidable situation against their will. It translates roughly to "forced to" or "compelled to." It is used when external circumstances leave absolutely no other choice but to accept a difficult reality.
Because of its highly formal register, you will rarely hear this phrase in everyday casual conversation. Instead, it appears heavily in news reports, historical texts, and official business statements to describe major events like bankruptcies, cancellations, evacuations, or resignations.
To form this pattern, attach を余儀なくされる directly to a noun that represents an action or event. These are usually two-kanji verbal nouns, such as 変更, meaning "change", 中止, meaning "cancellation", or 引退, meaning "retirement". It does not attach directly to verbs.
When using this grammar, the subject of the sentence is the person or organization experiencing the hardship. For example, in 会社は倒産を余儀なくされた, the company is the one being forced to go bankrupt. The cause of the hardship is often marked earlier in the sentence using phrases like ～のため, ～により, or ～で.
It is important to distinguish the passive ～を余儀なくされる from the causative ～を余儀なくさせる. While される means the subject is the victim of the circumstances, させる means the subject is the circumstance itself that forces someone else. For everyday spoken Japanese, avoid this formal pattern and use expressions like ～ざるを得ない or ～なければならない instead.
07Common Mistakes
Wrong
急病のため、帰るを余儀なくされた。
Correct
急病のため、帰国を余儀なくされた。
Why: The pattern ～を余儀なくされる attaches directly to nouns that represent actions or decisions, not to verbs. Instead of a verb like 帰る, use a noun equivalent like 帰国.
Wrong
雨が降ったので、傘を買うのを余儀なくされた。
Correct
雨が降ったので、傘を買わざるを得なかった。
Why: The phrase ～を余儀なくされる is a highly formal expression reserved for serious, unavoidable circumstances like bankruptcy, evacuation, or event cancellation. For everyday inconveniences, use conversational patterns like ～ざるを得ない.
Wrong
大雪はフライトの欠航を余儀なくされた。
Correct
大雪のため、フライトは欠航を余儀なくされた。
Why: With the passive ～を余儀なくされる, the subject experiencing the hardship must be the victim (the flight), not the cause (the heavy snow). If the cause is the subject, use the causative ～を余儀なくさせる instead.
Wrong
辞任することを余儀なくされた。
Correct
辞任を余儀なくされた。
Why: Instead of using する + こと to nominalize a verbal noun, attach を余儀なくされる directly to the two-kanji verbal noun itself (辞任).
Wrong
イベントの中止は余儀なくされた。
Correct
イベントの中止を余儀なくされた。
Why: The action or decision that is forced is the object of the phrase, so it must be marked with を to form the set pattern noun + を余儀なくされる.
Wrong
宝くじに当たって、退職を余儀なくされた。
Correct
宝くじに当たって、退職することができた。
Why: The pattern ～を余儀なくされる inherently carries a strong nuance of reluctance, hardship, and suffering. It cannot be used when the subject wants to take the action or when the outcome is positive.
08Questions
Can I use ～を余儀なくされる in everyday spoken Japanese?
Generally, no. It sounds extremely stiff and dramatic in daily conversation. For casual or standard polite speech, use patterns like ～ざるを得ない, meaning “cannot help but do,” or ～なければならない, meaning “must do,” instead.
What is the difference between ～を余儀なくされる and ～を余儀なくさせる?
The passive ～を余儀なくされる means the subject is the victim of the circumstances (e.g., "The company was forced to close"). The causative ～を余儀なくさせる means the subject is the circumstance that forces someone else (e.g., "The recession forced the company to close").
Can I attach ～を余儀なくされる directly to a verb?
No, it only attaches to nouns. Instead of attaching it to a verb like 帰る, you must use a noun equivalent like 帰国 (returning to one's country).
09Mini Practice
- 01
(In a news report) 悪天候のため、試合の（ ）を余儀なくされた。
- 02
(In an official statement) その会社は倒産（ ）余儀なくされた。
- 03
(In a documentary) 急病のため、彼は引退を（ ）。
- 04
(In a business report) 長引く不況により、多くの店舗が閉店を（ ）。
- 05
Due to a severe injury, that athlete was forced to retire.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
- 06
Due to the typhoon, the event was forced to be canceled.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
- 07
(Chatting with a friend about forgetting a lunchbox) お弁当を忘れたから、コンビニでの購入を余儀なくされたよ。
- 08
(In a news report about a disaster) 激しい戦闘により、住民たちは故郷からの避難を余儀なくされた。
Summary
Learner Summary
- The advanced pattern ～を余儀なくされる means that someone or something is forced to accept a situation or take an action because there are no other options.
- It is a highly formal expression used almost exclusively in written Japanese, such as news reports, corporate statements, and historical documentaries.
- It attaches directly to nouns that represent actions or decisions, such as 中止, meaning "cancellation", 引退, meaning "retirement", or 倒産, meaning "bankruptcy".
- This pattern carries a strong nuance of reluctance and hardship, making it unnatural for positive events or minor everyday inconveniences.
- Be careful to distinguish the passive される, meaning “the subject is the victim,” from the causative させる (the subject is the circumstance causing the hardship).
10Study Map
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