expression, adjective

  1. there's no (other) way.
  2. cannot be helped, unavoidable, inevitable, (there's) nothing one can do, having no choice.
  3. it's no use (doing), pointless, useless, no good, insufficient, not enough. Oft. as 〜ても仕方がない.
  4. hopeless (person), annoying, troublesome, awful.
  5. cannot stand it, unbearable, cannot help (doing, feeling), dying (to do). As 〜て仕方がない or 〜で仕方がない.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
 
 
 
仕方がない しかたがない
 
 
仕方が無い しかたがない
 
 
 
 
し方がない しかたがない

Contained Kanji Breakdown

attend, doing, official
シ つか.える (3rd, N4)
human radical (no. 9)
gentleman, scholar, samurai
シ さむらい お (4th, N1)
direction, person, alternative
ホウ かた なた (2nd, N4)
dot, tick or dot radical (no. 3)
チュ (Kentei 1)
ten thousand, 10,000
バン マン よろず (2nd, N5)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ いっ ひと- (1st, N5)
wrapping enclosure, wrapping radical (no. 20)
ホウ つつ.む (Kentei 1)