〜術がない (~sube ga nai) — there is no way / means to ~

The stiff, written partner of 「ようがない」— the news way of saying 'there is no means at all'.

Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)

V辞書形 + 術がない／術もない

Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)

When to use it

Remember the day of the earthquake in Nepal: phones don't connect, the internet is down — there is no way to find out whether your family is safe.
Japanese news writes that situation like this: 「家族の無事を確かめる術がない」.
It is a stiff word of news, articles and novels.

Meaning

「術」(すべ) means 'a way, a means', so 「〜術がない」= 'there is no way or means at all to do it' — a helpless, hands-tied feeling.
「術もない」is even stronger, and 「なす術もなく」(helplessly, unable to do anything) appears constantly in sports and disaster news.

How to attach

Dictionary form + 「術がない」: 知る術がない

Versus what you know

N2The meaning is the same as 「〜ようがない」, but 「ようがない」also works in conversation.
N2The attachment differs too: 「ようがない」takes the ます-stem (知りようがない), 「術がない」the dictionary form (知る術がない).

Watch out

Because it means 'a means', it only fits actions people do — not something that just happens, like 'there's no means for it to rain'.

Examples (उदाहरणहरू)

大雨で道路が通れなくなり、村に物資を届ける術がない。

おおあめでどうろがとおれなくなり、むらにぶっしをとどけるすべがない。

Heavy rain has made the roads impassable, and there is no way to get supplies to the village.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 道路が通れなくなり = the roads became impassable (the reason) → 届ける = to deliver (dictionary form) → 「術がない」 = there's no way at all to deliver.

地震の直後は電話がつながらず、家族の無事を確かめる術がなかった。

じしんのちょくごはでんわがつながらず、かぞくのぶじをたしかめるすべがなかった。

Right after the earthquake the phones wouldn't connect, and there was no way to confirm my family was safe.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 電話がつながらず = the phones not connecting → 確かめる = to confirm → 「術がなかった」 = there was no way at all to confirm.

医者にも治す術がないと言われ、家族は言葉を失った。

いしゃにもなおすすべがないといわれ、かぞくはことばをうしなった。

When even the doctor said there was no way to cure it, the family was left speechless.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 治す = to cure (dictionary form) → 「術がない」 = there's no way to cure it → 「と言われ」 = they were told → 言葉を失った = they were left speechless.

Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)

Question: 1/3

「強い相手を前に、チームはなす＿＿もなく負けた。」— fill the blank.

💡 Hint: A famous news phrase: 'unable to do anything'.