他は
hoka wa
In Japanese, the phrase "other than" can be expressed as 他は (hoka wa). Wiktionary also lists 別は (betsu wa).
Meaning: except, besides (prep)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 他は | hoka wa |
| 別は | betsu wa |
Both 他は and 別は are used to mean "except" or "besides".
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say "other than [noun]", you must place the possessive particle の (no) between the noun and the phrase, resulting in the construction 〜の他は.
How do you pronounce it?
hoka wa
Did you know?
- In certain highly formal or legal contexts, you might see the kanji 他 replaced by 外 (hoka/gai). While 'outside' is the standard meaning, in these contexts, it functions exactly like 'other than' to exclude specific items from a list.
- The word 別 in 別は also forms the basis for the word 'divorce' 離婚 or 'separation' 別離, linking the idea of being 'other than' or 'separate' to romantic parting.
- The word 他 (hoka) can also be read as 'ta' in formal compounds, such as in the word 他人 (tanin), which means 'stranger'. Even though the kanji is the same, the reading changes depending on whether it stands alone or joins another word.
Examples in context
- 私はこの三日間、傷んだサンドイッチと腐ったりんご、だめになったヨーグルトの他は食べていません。I haven't had anything to eat for three days other than a stale sandwich, a rotten apple, and some spoiled yogurt.This sentence shows how to use 他は to list things that have been consumed besides spoiled food.Tatoeba #3957704 by Kuddy, translation #3672488 by DostKaplan
- 暑（あつ）い日（ひ）以外（いがい）にも、雨（あめ）が降（ふ）った。It rained on days other than hot ones as well.
- テニスのほかに、サッカーもやっています。Besides tennis, I also play soccer.
- 彼女（かのじょ）以外（いがい）に、会（あ）った人（ひと）はいません。I haven't met anyone other than her.
- これの他は、何もありません。Kore no hoka wa, nani mo arimasen.Other than this, there is nothing.
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are discussing their weekend plans.
- 陽太 Yota美咲さんは、週末に何か予定がありますか？Misaki-san wa, shūmatsu ni nanika yotei ga arimasu ka?Misaki, do you have any plans for the weekend?
- 美咲 Misaki買い物に行く他は、特に予定はありません。Kaimono ni iku hoka wa, tokuni yotei wa arimasen.Other than going shopping, I don't have any particular plans.
- 陽太 Yotaそうなんですね。一緒に映画に行きませんか？Sō nan desu ne. Issho ni eiga ni ikimasen ka?I see. Would you like to go to a movie together?
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね！ぜひ行きましょう。Ii desu ne! Zehi ikimashō.That sounds great! Let's definitely go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “other than” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
