Translating 別として

Question

ウソかホントかは別として、聞いたことあるその話。

Could someone help me translate this sentence? I tried but it sounds horrible, I don't know what is best way to translate 別として here. Thank you!

Answer 1

Your translation is really close! You should probably be able to understand it if you took a look at the meaning of 別として here. If not, the rest of the stuff I've written below should help you get the meaning in relation to how the grammar is working here.

This is a great sentence for learning the uses of か as well, and I think that is important to understand how the first part ウソかホントかは works before we get to the 別として part. If you feel like you have a good understanding of ウソかホントかは, go ahead and skip the next paragraph, which I am including for context for the rest of my translation.

ウソかホント can be roughly translated as lie or real (i.e. true or false) The second か here makes it an embedded question. The part that gives this away is the は, which is the particle that every Japanese learner spends days trying to learn.

別として is defined by jisho.org to mean: "other than; except for; aside from; apart from; save for​." The way I personally understand the usage in your sentence is something to the effect of "Regardless of whether or not this is true..." A literal translation here would be something like "Apart from the question of if it's a lie, or real ... "

The following would be my translation of your sentence:

ウソかホントかは別として、聞いたことあるその話。

Setting aside whether it's true or false, I have heard that story (as well).

I put the (as well) in parenthesis because while the sentence never directly said it, it seems like it is being implied.

Hope it helps.