Leaving the Details Aside for a Moment はともかく・は別として・ならともかく

These expressions set one topic or condition aside to make a different point. はともかく and は別として bracket off a topic; ならともかく says “if it were X, that would be one thing,” implying the actual case is different.

はともかく means “putting X aside for now.” It often shifts attention away from a secondary issue and toward the main evaluation.

は別として also separates a point from the discussion. It sounds matter-of-fact and works well in careful speech or writing; it doesn’t necessarily imply that the point is unimportant.

ならともかく presents a hypothetical exception, then contrasts it with the real case. The speaker suggests that the first situation might be understandable, but the second is not.

Vocabulary