抜(ぬ)き

ぬき
noun, suffix
without; excluding; leaving out
fooddaily-life
1. without; excluding; leaving out (as a suffix)
Used as a suffix attached to a noun to mean "without that thing" or "with that thing removed." Extremely common in food ordering, daily conversation, and written instructions.
わさび抜(ぬ)きでお願(ねが)いします。
Without wasabi, please.
朝食(ちょうしょく)抜(ぬ)きで出(で)かけた。
I went out without having breakfast.
冗談(じょうだん)抜(ぬ)きで、これは大変(たいへん)な問題(もんだい)だ。
Joking aside, this is a serious problem.
彼(かれ)抜(ぬ)きではこのプロジェクトは成功(せいこう)しなかっただろう。
Without him, this project probably wouldn't have succeeded.
2. omission; skipping; cutting corners
The act of leaving something out or cutting corners in a process or task. Often used in the expression 手抜(てぬ)き (cutting corners, doing a sloppy job).
手抜(てぬ)きの仕事(しごと)は許(ゆる)されない。
Sloppy work is not tolerated.
手抜(てぬ)き料理(りょうり)でも意外(いがい)と美味(おい)しくできる。
Even shortcuts cooking can turn out surprisingly delicious.

Derived from the verb 抜(ぬ)く (to pull out, remove). As a suffix, 抜(ぬ)き attaches directly to a noun: Xを抜(ぬ)く → X抜(ぬ)き (without X). This is one of the most practical suffix patterns for daily life in Japan, especially when ordering food.

Sense 1 ("without") is extremely common. Learners will encounter it constantly at restaurants (わさび抜(ぬ)き, 氷(こおり)抜(ぬ)き) and in everyday expressions like 冗談(じょうだん)抜(ぬ)き (joking aside) and 朝食(ちょうしょく)抜(ぬ)き (skipping breakfast).

Sense 2 relates to the compound 手抜(てぬ)き, which is itself a very common word meaning "cutting corners" or "being sloppy."

Common collocations

Similar words

  • なし: without, none — a more general word; 抜(ぬ)き implies active removal
  • 除(のぞ)く: to exclude — a verb form; 抜(ぬ)き is used as a compact suffix
  • 無(な)し: without — often interchangeable in food orders, but 抜(ぬ)き emphasizes "take it out"

Related Words

Compare: 除(のぞ)く (to exclude)
Compare: 無(な)し (without)
general
Added 2026.4.12 23:09 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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