Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Expresses that there is a possibility that something undesirable or negative will happen.
🎯 Primary Function
To warn or express concern about a potential negative outcome or consequence.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb ます-form (stem) + かねない
Example: 行きます → 行き + かねない → 行きかねない
食べます → 食べ + かねない → 食べかねない
します → し + かねない → しかねない
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in formal discussions, warnings, and analyses where potential risks are discussed.
Informal Situations
Less common in very casual speech, but can be used in serious informal warnings among close acquaintances.
Written Language
Frequently appears in news articles, essays, reports, and official warnings.
Spoken Language
Used in spoken Japanese when the speaker wants to express a serious concern or warning, often in more formal or serious conversations.
💡 Common Applications
Warning about potential dangers or risks.
Used to caution someone about the possibility of something bad happening if a certain action is taken or continued.
Example: この薬は副作用を起こしかねない。 (This medicine could cause side effects.)
Predicting negative consequences of a situation or action.
Used to express a prediction or concern that a current situation or action will lead to a negative result.
Example: 彼の無責任な行動は、会社に大きな損害を与えかねない。 (His irresponsible behavior could cause significant damage to the company.)
Expressing concern about someone’s state or behavior.
Used to show worry that someone’s current state or behavior might lead to a negative personal outcome (like getting sick or failing).
Example: そんなに夜更かしばかりしていると、体を壊しかねませんよ。 (If you keep staying up late like that, you might ruin your health.)
Frequency
Moderate. Frequently used in written materials (news, articles) and serious spoken contexts.
Difficulty
Intermediate to Advanced (N2). Requires understanding of nuance and context.
Example Sentences
こんなに無理を続けると、病気になりかねない。
If you keep pushing yourself this hard, you might get sick.
その発言は誤解を招きかねません。
That comment could lead to misunderstanding.
急に電気を消すと、子供が怖がりかねないよ。
If you suddenly turn off the lights, the children might get scared.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Always implies a negative outcome.
～かねない is exclusively used for possibilities that are undesirable, harmful, or problematic. It is not used for positive or neutral possibilities.
Example: ✕ 明日は晴れかねない。(Incorrect – “晴れる” is positive/neutral)
〇 雨が降りかねない。(Correct – “雨が降る” can be negative/undesirable depending on context, or at least a potential problem.)
Expresses possibility with concern or warning.
It’s not just a simple statement of possibility, but includes the speaker’s feeling of worry or a warning about the potential negative event.
Example: 遅れるとかねない。 (There’s a possibility you might be late, and that’s a concern/warning.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using かねない for positive possibilities.
✅ Use ～かもしれない, ～可能性がある, or other appropriate expressions for positive or neutral possibilities.
かねない specifically carries a negative connotation. It should only be used for potential bad things.
❌ Confusing it with ～かねる.
✅ ～かねる means “cannot do” or “find it difficult to do.” ～かねない means “there is a possibility that something bad might happen.”
Despite the similar form, the meanings are opposite. かねる is about inability/difficulty; かねない is about negative possibility.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Moderate to slightly formal. More formal than ～かもしれない, less formal than ～恐れがある.
Social Situations: Used when giving warnings, expressing serious concerns, or discussing potential risks in a relatively formal or serious manner.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese, widely understood.
🔍 Subtle Differences
～かねない vs. ～かもしれない
かねない: Possibility of a *negative* outcome + speaker’s concern/warning.
かもしれない: Simple possibility (positive, neutral, or negative) without strong emphasis on concern.
When to use: Use ～かねない when you want to warn or express worry about a potential bad event. Use ～かもしれない for any possibility.
～かねない vs. ～恐れがある
かねない: Possibility of negative outcome with concern, often for predictable or inherent risks.
恐れがある: Stronger, often more formal expression for risk or fear of a negative outcome, commonly used for significant dangers (e.g., natural disasters, legal issues).
When to use: Use ～かねない for general warnings about potential issues. Use ～恐れがある for more serious or official warnings about significant risks.
～かねない vs. ～可能性がある
かねない: Focus on potential *negative* outcomes with concern.
可能性がある: Neutral expression of possibility, can be positive, negative, or neutral.
When to use: Use ～かねない when the possibility is negative and you want to convey concern. Use ～可能性がある when simply stating that something might happen, regardless of whether it’s good or bad.
📝 Conjugation Notes
Connects directly to the ます-stem of verbs. For する verbs, it attaches to し (like 失敗しかねない).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced かねない (kanenai), with the stress on the third syllable “ne”.
🧠 Memory Tips
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Vocabulary List
無理
muri
unreasonable, impossible, overdoing it
病気
byouki
illness, sickness
発言
hatsugen
remark, statement
誤解
gokai
misunderstanding
招く
maneku
to invite, to cause, to bring about
遅刻
chikoku
lateness, coming late
叱る
to scold
Kanji List
無
mu
none, without
理
ri
reason, logic
病
byou
sick
気
ki
spirit, energy
発
hatsu
depart, send, reveal
言
gen
say
誤
go
mistake
解
kai
untie, explain
招
maneku
invite
遅
chi
late
刻
koku
engrave, time
Practice Exercises
選んでください。「 careless mistake 」はミスにつながる。(Choose the correct option. Careless mistakes could lead to errors.)
しかねる
しうる
しかねない
するかもしれない
この古い橋は、大雨で（ ）。(This old bridge might collapse from the heavy rain.)
落ちるかもしれない
落ちかねる
落ちる可能性がある
落ちかねない
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