なくして, なしに, and ぬきで all express absence, but they frame it differently. 努力なくして成功はない presents effort as a necessary condition. 断りなしに means without prior permission or notice. 冗談抜きで means setting jokes aside. These are common patterns, not rigid limits on what each expression can describe.
also written nakushite / nashini / nukide / 抜きで / なくしては
なくして — without it, nothing would have happened · なしに — without doing the thing you should have · ぬきで — leaving that part out
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
なくして — the precondition
plain
。
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努力
どりょく ［1］
effort
noun · the precondition being named
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なくして
なくして
without
conjunction · names what the second half depends on
なくしてN1without · precondition
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成功
せいこう ［0］
success
noun · what cannot happen without the first
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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ない
ない
does not exist
negative of ある · the negative なくして nearly always takes
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There is no success without effort.
なしに — the step that was skipped
plain past
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · the one who skipped the step
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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断り
ことわり ［0］
asking permission
noun from 断る · here 'a word first', not 'refusal'
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なしに
なしに
without
conjunction · something that should have happened did not
なしにN1without · a skipped step
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使った
つかった
used it
plain past of 使う · the act that went ahead regardless
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He used it without asking.
ぬきで — one ingredient removed
plain
。
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冗談
じょうだん ［3］
jokes
noun · the component being taken out
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抜き
ぬき ［1］
leaving out
noun from 抜く · the subtraction itself
抜きでN1leaving out
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で
で
(part of 抜きで)
particle · manner — how the talk will be done, not where
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ちゃんと
ちゃんと
properly
adverb · pass or fail against a standard
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話そう
はなそう
let's talk
volitional of 話す · a suggestion to the other person
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Joking aside, let's talk about this properly.
ことなしに — after a verb
plain past
。
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彼女
かのじょ ［1］
she
pronoun · the one who did not stop
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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休む
やすむ ［2］
rest
godan verb · dictionary form before ことなしに
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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なしに
なしに
without
conjunction · ことなしに is how なしに attaches to a verb
ことなしにN1without doing
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働いた
はたらいた
worked
plain past of 働く · what went on regardless
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She worked without taking a single break.
なくして — with a person as the condition
plain
。
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君
きみ ［0］
you
pronoun · familiar, and warm in a sentence like this
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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協力
きょうりょく ［0］
help; cooperation
noun · the precondition, and a person can be one
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なくして
なくして
without
conjunction · again a precondition, again a negative behind it
なくしてN1without · precondition
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この
この
this
demonstrative · the result in front of both speakers
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結果
けっか ［0］
result; outcome
noun · what depended on the help
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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なかった
なかった
would not have existed
past negative of ある · counterfactual, and the negative なくして wants
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None of this would have happened without your help.
ないで — what people actually say
plain past
。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he
pronoun · the one who left
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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何も
なにも ［0］
anything
pronoun · pairs with a negative later in the sentence
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言わないで
いわないで
without saying
ない-form of 言う ＋ で · the everyday version of ことなしに
ないでN4without doing
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出て
でて
left and
て-form of 出る · linking into 行った
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行った
いった
went
plain past of 行く · 出て行く, to walk out
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He left without saying a word.
Structure
What each one attaches to
努力 / 協力 / 君＋なくして(は)
努力なくして成功はない. A noun in front, a negative behind. The は is optional and adds weight.
断り / 連絡 / 許可＋なしに
断りなしに使った. Also 〜ことなしに after a verb: 休むことなしに働いた.
冗談 / 前置き / 私＋抜きで
冗談抜きで. Also 〜を抜きにして, which is the longer, slightly more formal shape of the same idea.
言わ＋ないで
何も言わないで出て行った. What people actually say; なくして and なしに belong to writing.
Meaning
Precondition, omission, and subtraction
なくして names a precondition.努力なくして成功はない — no effort, no success. The pattern exists to say that one thing is the requirement for the other, which is why the second half is nearly always a negative.
なしに reports a skipped step.断りなしに使った — used it without asking. Something that should have happened did not, and context may convey reproach, though the form itself need not.
ぬきで subtracts an ingredient.冗談抜きで話そう — let's talk, with the jokes taken out. The thing still goes ahead; one component has been removed from it.
Register separates them as much as meaning does.なくして is the most literary and turns up in speeches and editorials. なしに is written but ordinary. ぬきで is comfortable in conversation, which the other two are not.
Everyday alternatives depend on the sentence.何も言わないで帰った is a plain way to say someone left without saying anything. 何も言うことなしに帰った is possible but more formal; なくして and ぬきで have their own established uses.
Watch out
Where these three go wrong
A positive result after なくして
The pattern names a precondition, so what follows is a negative: 努力なくして成功はない. 努力なくして成功した reverses the logic and stops making sense.
なしに attached straight to a verb
It needs こと in between: 休むことなしに. Only a noun goes directly in front — 断りなしに.
ぬきで in a speech
It is the conversational one. An editorial reaches for なくして or なしに; 冗談抜きで in a formal address sounds like the speaker has changed register mid-sentence.
Also asked
Questions people ask about なくして, なしに and ぬきで
What separates them?
What the “without” is doing. なくして names a precondition, なしに reports a skipped step, and ぬきで removes one ingredient from something that goes ahead anyway.
Why does なくして need a negative after it?
Because it is stating a requirement. “Without X there is no Y” is the shape; a positive second half would say the requirement was not a requirement after all.
How does なしに attach to a verb?
Through こと: 休むことなしに働いた. Directly after a noun it needs nothing — 連絡なしに.
ぬきで or を抜きにして?
The same idea at two lengths. 冗談抜きで is compact and spoken; 冗談を抜きにして is slightly more deliberate and turns up in writing.
What would I say out loud?
〜ないで or 〜ずに for the skipped step, and 抜きで for the removed ingredient. なくして in conversation sounds like a speech.
Is 断り here “refusal”?
No — this is the other sense: a word said in advance, permission asked. 断りなしに is “without so much as a word,” not “without a refusal.”
