Contrast and Concession
Pushing Through Hardship or Opposition
The formal Japanese grammar pattern ～をおして, meaning “o oshite,” is used to express taking action despite severe difficulties, physical hardship, or strong opposition. It attaches to specific nouns like illness (病気) or opposition (反対) to emphasize the intense determination or physical strain required to force one's way through a negative condition. This expression carries a formal or somewhat dramatic tone and is typically reserved for major burdens, rather than minor everyday inconveniences.
01Main Functions
Overcoming Physical Hardship
Indicates that the subject is intentionally forcing themselves to take action despite a severe physical condition, such as a serious illness or injury.
彼は重い病気をおして、舞台に立った。
(He) stood on stage, pushing through a severe illness.
Pushing Through Opposition
Expresses determination in proceeding with an action by forcing one's way through strong objections, resistance, or disapproval from others.
両親の反対をおして、彼女は留学を決意した。
(She) decided to study abroad, forcing her way through her parents' opposition.
Acknowledging Unreasonable Strain
Used in formal or polite contexts to acknowledge and express gratitude when someone goes out of their way or pushes through their own heavy schedule to do something for you.
御無理をおしてご出席いただき、感謝申し上げます。
(I) express my gratitude to you for attending despite the unreasonable strain on your schedule.
02Sentence Pattern
noun + を + おして会社へ行った
父は病気をおして会社へ行った。
(My) father went to the company, pushing through his illness.
The noun 病気, meaning “illness,” represents a severe physical hardship that the subject intentionally pushes through to perform the action of going to work.
noun + を + おして結婚した
周囲の反対をおして結婚した。
(They) got married, forcing their way through the opposition of those around them.
Here, 反対, meaning “opposition,” is a strong external resistance that the subject overcomes with intense determination.
noun + を + おしてまで、働くことはない
無理をおしてまで、働くことはない。
There is no need to work to the point of pushing yourself through unreasonable strain.
The noun 無理, meaning “unreasonable strain,” highlights the heavy burden or physical limit being crossed. The addition of まで emphasizes the extreme nature of the effort.
noun + を + おして、救助に向かった
危険をおして、救助に向かった。
(They) headed to the rescue, pushing through the danger.
Used here with 危険, meaning “danger,” to show taking a deliberate, risky action despite the threatening circumstances.
noun + を + おして試合に出た
選手は足のけがをおして試合に出た。
The athlete played in the match, pushing through a leg injury.
けが, meaning “injury,” acts as the physical hardship that the subject forces themselves to endure for the sake of participating in the match.
noun + を + おして来てくれてありがとう
お忙しいところ、無理をおして来てくれてありがとう。
Thank you for coming despite the unreasonable strain on your busy schedule.
In polite conversation, using 無理をおして acknowledges that the other person went to difficult lengths to accommodate a request.
noun + を + おして、起業した
家族の猛反対をおして、起業した。
(He) started a business, pushing through the fierce opposition of his family.
Adding modifiers like 猛, meaning “fierce,” to 反対, meaning “opposition,” emphasizes the intense level of resistance that had to be actively overcome.
03Example Sentences
彼は重い病気をおして、最後まで舞台に立ち続けた。
(He) continued to stand on stage until the end, pushing through a severe illness.
病気, meaning “illness,” is one of the most common nouns paired with this pattern to express enduring severe physical hardship.
両親の反対をおして、彼女は一人で海外へ渡った。
(She) went overseas alone, forcing her way through her parents' opposition.
Here, 反対, meaning “opposition,” represents the strong external resistance that the subject intentionally pushes against to achieve her goal.
御無理をおしてご出席いただき、誠にありがとうございます。
Thank you very much for attending despite the unreasonable strain on your schedule.
In formal business or polite speech, this expresses deep gratitude by acknowledging that the listener went out of their way to do something difficult.
消防隊員は危険をおして、燃え盛る家の中に飛び込んだ。
The firefighters jumped into the burning house, pushing through the danger.
Used with 危険, meaning “danger,” to highlight deliberate action taken in the face of a threatening or life-threatening situation.
その選手は足のけがをおして、決勝戦に出場した。
That athlete participated in the final match, pushing through a leg injury.
けが, meaning “injury,” acts as the physical limitation that the athlete actively forces themselves to endure.
重要な会議があったため、彼は高熱をおして出社した。
Because there was an important meeting, he went to work, pushing through a high fever.
高熱, meaning “high fever,” emphasizes the extremity of the physical condition being overcome for the sake of work.
周囲の反対をおしてまで、その計画を進めるべきではない。
(You) should not proceed with that plan to the point of forcing your way through the opposition of those around you.
Adding まで, meaning “to the point of,” to the pattern intensifies the degree of the burden, emphasizing how extreme the effort is.
無理をおしてお願いするのは心苦しいのですが、引き受けていただけないでしょうか。
(It) pains (me) to ask (you) to push yourself through an unreasonable strain, but could (you) take this on?
Using 無理をおして when making a difficult request politely acknowledges the heavy burden being placed on the listener.
家族の猛反対をおして起業したが、結局失敗に終わった。
(He) started a business forcing his way through his family's fierce opposition, but in the end (it) ended in failure.
Modifying words like 猛, meaning “fierce,” attached to 反対, meaning “opposition,” further heightens the dramatic tone of the resistance faced.
彼女は体調不良をおして、期末テストを受けた。
She took the final exam, pushing through her poor physical condition.
体調不良, meaning “poor physical condition,” represents a negative physical state that she had to strain against to perform the action.
痛みをおして練習を続けた結果、症状が悪化してしまった。
As a result of continuing to practice while pushing through the pain, the symptoms worsened.
痛み, meaning “pain,” serves as the intense physical barrier. The pattern shows that the action was forced despite the bodily warning.
母親は深い悲しみをおして、気丈に振る舞った。
The mother acted bravely, pushing through her deep sorrow.
While typically used for physical illness or external opposition, it can occasionally be used with profound emotional burdens like 悲しみ, meaning “sorrow,”.
命の危険をおしてまで、その山に登る理由は何ですか。
What is the reason for climbing that mountain to the point of pushing through danger to your life?
Combines 命の危険, meaning “danger to life,” with まで to question whether the action is truly worth such an extreme and risky effort.
若いうちは無理をおして働きがちだが、健康が第一だ。
While (one is) young, (one) tends to work by pushing through unreasonable strain, but health comes first.
Describes a general tendency to force oneself past natural limits, highlighting the heavy toll it takes on the body.
04Comparisons
～をおして vs. ～をよそに
Both patterns describe taking action despite a certain situation, but their focus is entirely different. ～をおして implies actively forcing oneself through a personal hardship or direct resistance (such as illness or opposition) with intense determination. In contrast, ～をよそに means ignoring external worries, expectations, or warnings without letting them bother you. You push through your own pain with ～をおして, but you ignore what others think with ～をよそに.
彼は病気をおして、舞台に立った。
(He) stood on stage, pushing through an illness.
彼は親の心配をよそに、危険な旅に出た。
(He) went on a dangerous journey, ignoring his parents' worries.
～をおして vs. ～をものともせずに
While both patterns express acting bravely despite difficulty, ～をおして emphasizes the heavy strain and the painful effort of forcing one's way through a negative condition. It highlights the toll the action takes. ～をものともせずに, on the other hand, implies facing a difficulty without being intimidated or bothered by it at all. With ～をおして, the obstacle is a heavy burden being endured; with ～をものともせずに, the obstacle is treated as if it is nothing.
足のけがをおして走った。
(I) ran, forcing my way through a leg injury.
強風をものともせずに走った。
(I) ran, undaunted by the strong wind.
05Nuance and Usage
The grammar pattern ～をおして is not simply a generic way to say "while" or "despite." It conveys a strong sense of physical or mental strain, implying that a significant barrier—such as a severe illness, intense pain, or fierce opposition—stands in the way. The subject is expending immense effort or willpower to crash through that barrier. Consequently, the verb that follows must describe a deliberate, intentional action reflecting this determination.
Because it carries such a dramatic and weighty tone, ～をおして only pairs naturally with a restricted set of extreme nouns. The most common are 病気, meaning “illness,”, けが, meaning “injury,”, 反対, meaning “opposition,”, 危険, meaning “danger,”, and 無理, meaning “unreasonable strain,”. Attempting to use it with everyday inconveniences, like bad weather or feeling slightly sleepy, sounds highly exaggerated and unnatural to native speakers.
While ～をおして is frequently used in written narratives or news to describe dramatic struggles, the specific phrase 無理をおして, meaning “pushing through unreasonable strain,” plays a vital role in polite spoken Japanese. In formal business contexts, saying 無理をおして来てくれてありがとう (Thank you for coming despite the unreasonable strain) is a standard, respectful way to acknowledge that someone went out of their way and pushed past their own limits to accommodate you.
06Core Explanation
The formal Japanese grammar pattern ～をおして, meaning “o oshite,” is used to express taking action despite severe difficulties, physical hardship, or strong opposition.
The formal Japanese grammar pattern ～をおして, meaning “o oshite,” is used to express taking action despite severe difficult circumstances, physical hardship, or strong opposition. It conveys a sense of forcing one's way through a major obstacle or burden to achieve a goal. This pattern is primarily found in written contexts, formal speech, or somewhat dramatic narratives.
In terms of formation, ～をおして attaches directly to a noun. However, its usage is strictly limited to specific nouns that represent significant burdens or hardships. The most common nouns paired with this pattern include illness (病気), injury (けが), opposition (反対), danger (危険), and unreasonable strain or limits (無理).
A defining characteristic of ～をおして is the intense determination, active effort, or physical strain it implies. The action described in the clause following ～をおして must be an intentional act performed by a subject who is actively pushing back against the negative condition. It highlights the willpower required to proceed despite the heavy toll it takes.
Because of its dramatic and weighty tone, ～をおして is not used for minor, everyday inconveniences. For instance, you would not use it to say you went out "despite the rain" or "despite being a little tired." Using it in such trivial situations sounds unnaturally exaggerated. It is reserved for severe conditions where the subject is genuinely enduring heavy strain.
When comparing ～をおして with similar expressions, it is important to note the difference in focus. While をよそに also describes actions taken despite a situation, をよそに means ignoring external worries, expectations, or warnings. In contrast, ～をおして implies actively forcing oneself through a personal hardship or direct, active resistance. Another pattern, にもかかわらず, is a general way to express unexpected results or objective contrast, but it lacks the active nuance of intentionally "forcing one's way through" that defines ～をおして.
07Common Mistakes
Wrong
雨をおして出かけた。
Correct
雨の中を出かけた。
Why: ～をおして carries a dramatic tone and implies extreme determination to overcome a severe burden. Everyday weather conditions like rain are too trivial for this pattern.
Wrong
忙しいをおして参加した。
Correct
無理をおして参加した。
Why: ～をおして attaches directly to nouns. The i-adjective 忙しい cannot connect to it. 無理, meaning “unreasonable strain,” is the natural noun choice to express pushing through a busy schedule.
Wrong
地震をおして家が倒れた。
Correct
地震で家が倒れた。
Why: The action following ～をおして must be an intentional act of overcoming a barrier. It cannot be used for accidental results, natural consequences, or passive events.
Wrong
少しの疲れをおして勉強した。
Correct
少し疲れていたが勉強した。
Why: Minor fatigue does not warrant the dramatic tone of forcing one's way through. The condition must be severe, like a serious illness (病気) or injury (けが).
Wrong
風邪を引くをおして仕事に行った。
Correct
風邪をおして仕事に行った。
Why: The pattern connects to nouns, not verbs. You must use the noun form of the condition, such as 風邪, meaning “a cold,” or 病気, meaning “illness,”.
Wrong
渋滞をおして遅刻した。
Correct
渋滞のせいで遅刻した。
Why: Being late is a passive consequence, not an intentional act of willpower. The verb following ～をおして must describe the active, deliberate action taken despite the obstacle.
08Questions
Can I use ～をおして with adjectives like 忙しい, meaning “busy,” or 痛い, meaning “painful,”?
No, ～をおして must attach directly to a noun. Instead of the i-adjective 痛い, use the noun form 痛み, meaning “pain,” to say 痛みをおして. For "busy," you cannot say 忙しいをおして; instead, use the noun phrase 無理をおして, meaning “pushing through the strain,” or an expression like お忙しいところ.
What is the difference between ～をおして and にもかかわらず?
にもかかわらず is a general "despite" or "although" that objectively states a contrast (e.g., "Despite the rain, the game continued"). ～をおして specifically implies an active, intense effort to force one's way through a major personal hardship or direct resistance.
Is ～をおして only used in formal writing?
It is most common in written narratives, news reports, and formal speech because of its dramatic and weighty tone. However, the specific phrase 無理をおして is very frequently used in spoken, polite business Japanese to thank someone for their effort or time.
09Mini Practice
- 01
彼は重い（ ）をおして、会社へ行った。
- 02
（ ）おして来ていただき、ありがとうございます。
- 03
(Talking about a friend going to the convenience store) 彼は雨をおして、コンビニへ行った。
- 04
(Describing a brave rescue) 消防隊員は危険をおして、燃え盛る家の中に飛び込んだ。
- 05
(She) got married, forcing her way through her parents' opposition.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
- 06
彼は足のけが（ ）、試合に出場した。
- 07
反対を（ ）、計画を進めるべきではない。
- 08
I express my gratitude to you for attending despite the unreasonable strain.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
Summary
Learner Summary
- The formal grammar pattern ～をおして expresses taking intentional action despite severe difficulties, physical hardship, or strong opposition.
- It attaches directly to specific nouns (noun + をおして), such as 病気, meaning “illness,”, 反対, meaning “opposition,”, けが, meaning “injury,”, 危険, meaning “danger,”, and 無理, meaning “unreasonable strain,”.
- It conveys a dramatic tone of intense willpower and physical or mental strain, making it unnatural to use for minor, everyday inconveniences like bad weather or slight fatigue.
- The action that follows the pattern must be a deliberate, intentional act of pushing forward, not an accidental result or passive event.
- In polite spoken Japanese, the set phrase 無理をおして is commonly used to deeply thank someone for going out of their way or accommodating a difficult request.
10Study Map
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