Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Cannot / Difficult to do
🎯 Primary Function
To politely express inability or reluctance to perform an action, often due to psychological reasons, social constraints, or the nature of the situation.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (ます-stem) + かねる
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Very commonly used in formal and business settings.
Informal Situations
Rarely used; sounds unnatural and overly formal.
Written Language
Frequently appears in formal letters, emails, and official documents.
Spoken Language
Used in formal conversations, business meetings, speeches, etc.
💡 Common Applications
Politely refusing a request or offer
Used when you cannot fulfill a request or accept an offer, expressing regret or difficulty in doing so.
Example: 申し訳ございませんが、ご要望にはお応えしかねます。
(I am very sorry, but I cannot meet your request.)
Expressing difficulty in believing or understanding
Used when something is hard to believe or understand, often due to the unexpected or unreasonable nature of it.
Example: 彼の言っていることは、私には信じかねる。(What he is saying is difficult for me to believe.)
Stating inability to make a decision or take a stance
Used when it is difficult to decide or state a clear position, often due to conflicting factors or uncertainty.
Example: この件については、何とも申し上げかねます。(Regarding this matter, I cannot say anything [cannot comment].)
Frequency
Moderately frequent in formal Japanese.
Difficulty
N2 (Intermediate-Advanced)
Example Sentences
誠に恐縮ですが、その件についてはお引き受けしかねます。
I am truly sorry, but I cannot accept that matter.
彼の突然の行動は、私には理解しかねるものだった。
His sudden behavior was something that was difficult for me to understand.
現時点では、明確な回答を差し上げかねます。
At the present moment, I cannot give you a clear answer.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Psychological/Social Inability vs. Physical Inability
かねる expresses difficulty or inability often due to psychological resistance, social norms, or the nature of the situation, rather than simple physical impossibility.
Example: ❌ 私は泳ぎかねます。(Incorrect for “I cannot swim” due to lack of skill)
✅ 私はその意見には同意しかねます。(Correct for “I cannot agree with that opinion” due to disagreement/reluctance)
High Politeness
It is a very polite and formal expression, making it suitable for business and formal interactions.
Example: ご要望にお応えしかねます。(Polite refusal)
ご要望に応えられません。(Less polite, direct refusal)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using かねる for simple physical inability.
✅ Use できません or られない instead for simple physical inability.
かねる implies a deeper reason (psychological, social, ethical) for the inability, not just lack of skill or means.
❌ Confusing かねる with かねない.
✅ かねる means “cannot / difficult to do”, while かねない means “might do / is likely to do (often something negative)”. They have opposite meanings.
These two patterns look similar but function very differently. Pay close attention to the nuance.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: High politeness.
Social Situations: Frequently used in business negotiations, formal apologies, official statements, and when expressing reluctance or inability to act in a formal setting.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations for this grammatical pattern.
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜かねる vs. 〜できない
できない is a general expression for impossibility (physical, mental, circumstantial). かねる is more formal, polite, and often implies inability due to psychological/social/ethical reasons.
When to use: Use かねる in formal contexts to politely state inability or reluctance based on internal/external constraints beyond simple lack of ability. Use できない in any context for general impossibility.
〜かねる vs. 〜にくい
〜にくい indicates something is “difficult to do” due to its inherent nature or external factors making the action hard. かねる indicates “cannot do” or “it is difficult for the *speaker* to do” often due to internal/social reasons.
When to use: Use 〜にくい when the action itself is hard or inconvenient (e.g., 食べにくい – hard to eat, 分かりにくい – hard to understand). Use かねる when the speaker is unable or reluctant to do something (e.g., 同意しかねる – cannot agree, 信じかねる – cannot believe).
〜かねる vs. 〜がたい
〜がたい also means “difficult to do” and often implies difficulty due to strong emotional or psychological reasons (e.g., 信じがたい – hard to believe, 許しがたい – hard to forgive). がたい is often used with verbs related to emotion, cognition, or judgment. かねる is broader and used with various verbs, including those involving actions or responses.
When to use: Both are formal and indicate difficulty, but がたい often emphasizes emotional/psychological hurdles for the speaker regarding the action/concept, while かねる can be broader, including social or situational difficulties in performing an action or making a statement.
📝 Conjugation Notes
Connects to the ます-stem of verbs. The negative form Vます-stem + かねない exists, but it has the very different meaning of “might do” or “is likely to do” (usually something negative), which is easily confused. Thus, the negative sense is typically expressed by the pattern itself (かねる). The past tense is かねた.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced “ka-ne-ru”. Ensure the “ne” is not nasalized.
🧠 Memory Tips
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Vocabulary List
期待
きたい
expectation
沿う
そう
to meet, to follow
残念ながら
ざんねんながら
unfortunately
致す
いたす
to do (humble)
誠に
まことに
truly, really (formal)
申し訳ございません
もうしわけございません
I am truly sorry (very polite)
要望
request
Kanji List
期待
きたい
expectation
沿
そ
along, follow
残念
ざんねん
regrettable
致
いた
do, cause
誠
まこと
truth, sincerity
申し訳
もうしわけ
apology
要望
ようぼう
request
応
おう
respond, answer
賛成
さんせい
agreement
反対
はんたい
opposition
申
もう
say, humbly
Practice Exercises
Fill in the blank: お客様のご期待には（ ）。 (Unfortunately, I cannot meet the customer’s expectations.)
応えられません
応えがたい
応えかねます
応えるしかない
Choose the most appropriate sentence using かねる:
この重い荷物は一人では持ちかねます。(This heavy luggage is difficult for one person to carry.)
彼の無責任な態度は、私には理解しかねる。(His irresponsible attitude is difficult for me to understand.)
私は納豆を食べかねます。(I cannot eat natto.)
明日は学校に行きかねます。(I cannot go to school tomorrow.)
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