Grammar › Reference & Basis
はさておき — “leaving X aside, aside from that”
Sets a topic aside deliberately in order to move on to something more relevant
Noun + はさておき (from 差し置く, “to set aside”) deliberately parks a topic — often to return to the main point, or to pivot to something more pressing — “leaving X aside for now.” It's a natural way to redirect a conversation without dismissing the set-aside topic entirely.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + はさておき | 冗談はさておき、本題に入りましょう — Joking aside, let's get to the main topic |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| それはさておき、今日の会議の議題に移りましょう。 | それはさておき、きょうのかいぎのぎだいにうつりましょう。 sorehasateoki、kyounokaiginogidainiutsurimashou。 | Setting that aside, let's move on to today's meeting agenda. |
| 味はさておき、見た目はとても美しい料理だ。 | あじはさておき、みためはとてもうつくしいりょうりだ。 ajihasateoki、mitamehatotemoutsukushiiryourida。 | Leaving the taste aside, it's a visually beautiful dish. |
| 冗談はさておき、本当に大丈夫ですか。 | じょうだんはさておき、ほんとうにだいじょうぶですか。 joudanhasateoki、hontounidaijoubudesuka。 | Joking aside, are you really okay? |
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Watch out
はさておき sets a topic aside temporarily, without denying its relevance — it isn't the same as dismissing something as unimportant; the set-aside topic can always be returned to later.