JLPT N2Spoken and writtenMoving the talk on

はさておき・はさておいてsetting aside for now

You put a topic aside for now and turn to another, usually the real business. 冗じょう談だんはさておき, "joking aside", is the one everybody says.

冗じょう談だんはさておき、明日あしたの発はっ表ぴょう内ない容ようを確かく認にんしましょう。

Joking aside, let's go over the content of tomorrow's presentation.

How to form it

Noun + はさておき／はさておいて

The two mean the same. はさておき is the more common.

After a question

Plain form + か（どうか）+ はさておき

できるかどうかはさておき, だれが悪わるいかはさておき: the question can wait.

Before it: The topic you are leaving: a joke, a digression, a detail, a question that can wait.
After it: What you turn to, often with まず or 〜ましょう.
Who says it: Whoever is steering the talk: a chair, a presenter, a writer.
Where you'll meet it: Meetings, talks, essays, blogs.

In use

開かい催さい場ば所しょはさておき、今日きょうは日にっ程ていを決きめる必ひつ要ようがあります。

Setting the venue aside for now, we need to decide the dates today.

誰だれが責せき任にんを取とるかはさておいて、今いまは被ひ害がいの拡かく大だいを防ふせぐべきだ。

Who takes responsibility can wait; right now we should stop the damage from spreading.

彼かれの話はなし方かたはさておき、指し摘てきの内ない容ようを検けん討とうしよう。

Let's leave aside the way he said it and look at what he actually pointed out.

Three set phrases

冗じょう談だんはさておきjoking aside

冗じょう談だんはさておいて、本ほん題だいに戻もどりましょう。

Joking aside, let's get back to the main subject.

Here with はさておいて.

それはさておきthat aside; anyway

それはさておき、来らい週しゅうの予よ定ていを決きめましょう。

Anyway, let's settle next week's schedule.

It opens a sentence, to move the talk on.

何なにはさておきbefore anything else

家いえに帰かえったら、何なにはさておき手てを洗あらう。

When I get home, I wash my hands before anything else.

Close neighbours

はともかくN2

Leaves one point aside to say what matters more. The point left aside is often a weak one.

細こまかい表ひょう現げんはともかく、内ない容ようはよくまとまっている。

Leaving the finer points of wording aside, the content is well organized.

は別としてN2

"Apart from": the one you name is a different case, and what follows is about the rest.

山やま田ださんは別べつとして、ほかの参さん加か者しゃは全ぜん員いんこの町まちに住すんでいる。

Apart from Ms. Yamada, all the other participants live in this town.

ならともかくN2

"It would be one thing if …": names a case you could accept. What follows is usually an objection to the real one.

子こどもならともかく、大人おとながそんな言いい訳わけをするのは困こまる。

From a child it would be one thing, but an adult making that kind of excuse is a problem.

Check yourself

1You are chairing a meeting, and people are still laughing. Which one fits?

冗じょう談だん（　　）、そろそろ始はじめましょう。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What happens to the cost?

費ひ用ようはさておき、まず行いき先さきを決きめよう。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

さておき comes from the verb さておく, to leave something as it is for now.

More sentences

この案あんが実じつ現げんできるかどうかはさておき、検けん討とうする価か値ちはある。

Whether or not this plan can be made to work, it is worth considering.

結けっ果かはさておき、挑ちょう戦せんしたこと自じ体たいに意い味みがある。

Setting the result aside, the attempt itself has value.

デザインはさておき、この椅い子すは長ちょう時じ間かん座すわっても疲つかれにくい。

Design aside, this chair doesn't tire you out even when you sit in it for hours.

Compared with similar forms

"Whether or not", "no matter", "regardless of" and "never mind"