はさておき means setting aside; leaving aside (for now). It is a JLPT N1 Japanese grammar pattern used to temporarily park a topic or priority so you can focus on another matter without dismissing the original completely.
This grammar point often appears in formal discussions, meetings, essays, and N1 reading passages. If you want to acknowledge a point but shift focus politely, はさておき is a useful pattern to learn because it adds natural precision to your Japanese.
What does はさておき mean?
Use はさておき when you want to set aside a topic, consideration, or issue temporarily in order to discuss or act on something else. It signals that the item is not being dismissed, only deferred.
Natural translations include:
- setting aside; leaving aside; putting aside for the moment; jokes aside (when paired with 冗談)
How to form はさておき
Examples of the pattern:
- 冗談はさておき
- 見た目はさておき
- 個人的な意見はさておき
In N1 questions, the wrong answer choices often use a similar meaning but attach it to the wrong type of word.
When is はさておき used?
Use はさておき in situations like:
- moving a conversation from a tangent back to the main point
- acknowledging a valid concern but postponing discussion
- separating factual content from personal opinion in formal writing
- opening a meeting or presentation by setting aside small talk
Tone and register:
- neutral to slightly formal; common in business, academia, and public speaking
- appears frequently in N1 reading comprehension, especially argumentative essays and transcripts
はさておき example sentences
冗談はさておき、本題に入りましょう。
Jokes aside, let's get to the main topic.
見た目はさておき、味はとてもいい。
Appearance aside, the taste is very good.
過去の失敗はさておき、今後どう改善するか話し合おう。
Past mistakes aside, let's discuss how to improve going forward.
個人的な感想はさておき、客観的なデータに注目してください。
Personal impressions aside, please look at the objective data.
経歴はさておき、能力で評価します。
Resume aside, we'll evaluate based on ability.
After reading each sentence, ask what job はさておき is doing: it creates a pivot point, setting one item aside so another can be addressed.
Nuance of はさておき
The key nuance is temporarily setting aside with a purpose, not dismissing. The speaker respects the existence of the topic but decides it’s not the priority right now.
This matters because learners often treat it like “ignore” or “forget about”, but はさておき preserves the topic for later. For example:
- In a meeting, 冗談はさておき shows you appreciated the joke but need to move on.
- 過去の失敗はさておき acknowledges the past without letting it dominate the future.
- Compared with 無視する (ignore), はさておき carries a cooperative tone.
If you replace はさておき with a simple “X is not important” wording, you risk sounding dismissive or rude.
はさておき vs はそっちのけで
Both はさておき and はそっちのけで move something aside, but their attitudes differ sharply.
はさておき
temporarily sets aside, neutral or polite
はそっちのけで
neglects something while absorbed in another activity
If both translations seem possible, check the intent. Is the action a respectful pause (はさておき) or an unhealthy neglect (はそっちのけで)? For example, saying 社員の安全はそっちのけで利益を追求した (pursued profit, neglecting employee safety) carries strong criticism — much heavier than a gentle はさておき would.
Common mistakes with はさておき
Watch out for these mistakes:
さておき already means setting aside; adding 無視した (ignored) is redundant and contradicts the polite deferral nuance.
You cannot attach はさておき to a verb or adjective. It only follows a noun.
The particle は is an integral part of the pattern; dropping it creates a non-standard form that sounds like a shortened version of さて置き (by the way, placed aside), which is different grammar.
A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with はさておき, then rewrite it with はそっちのけで.
Is はさておき on the JLPT?
Yes. はさておき is commonly taught as JLPT N1 grammar.
Appears in reading passages that involve debates, editorials, or formal reasoning. You may see it in listening sections with business or academic conversations.
✔ distinguish its polite deference from dismissive patterns
✔ choose it in sentence-combination questions where nuance matters
That means learners should be able to:
- identify it while reading at speed
- understand why a speaker inserted it at a key pivot point
- use it appropriately in written arguments
N1 questions often test whether you understand the surrounding context, not just the dictionary meaning.
Practice questions for はさておき
Learning path for はさておき
To learn はさておき efficiently, start with its formation, then compare it with similar patterns, and finally practice in context.
Related grammar to review next
- はそっちのけで — because it also pushes something aside, but with a negative, neglectful shade
- はおろか — because it expresses “let alone; not to mention”, a stronger way to set something aside in a comparison
- はどうであれ — because it means “regardless of”, setting aside a condition rather than a topic
- は — because the topic particle は itself has contrastive and contextual-setting functions that はさておき builds upon
Learn はさておき with Hane
If you want to review はさておき together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.
Browse more lessons here:
FAQ about はさておき
What does はさておき (wa sateoki) mean in Japanese?
はさておき (wa sateoki) means “setting aside”. It is JLPT N1 grammar. Use はさておき when you want to set aside a topic, consideration, or issue temporarily in order to discuss or act on something else. It signals that the item is not being dismissed, only deferred.
How do you form はさておき (wa sateoki)?
Noun + はさておき
What is the difference between はさておき and はそっちのけで?
はさておき: temporarily sets aside, neutral or polite. はそっちのけで: neglects something while absorbed in another activity.
What is an example sentence with はさておき (wa sateoki)?
冗談はさておき、本題に入りましょう。 — Jokes aside, let's get to the main topic.