Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
There is no way that… / It is impossible that…
🎯 Primary Function
To express a strong, logically-backed subjective belief that something is impossible.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Plain Form) + わけがない / Noun + の + わけがない
i-adjective + わけがない
na-adjective + な + わけがない
Negative Form (ない) + わけがない
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in formal settings as ‘わけがありません’ or ‘わけはありません’.
Informal Situations
Commonly shortened to ‘わけない’ in casual speech.
Written Language
Used in essays or articles to present a logical rebuttal.
Spoken Language
Frequently used when reacting to surprising or unbelievable news.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Strong Denial
Used to strongly deny a possibility based on someone’s character or previous knowledge.
Example: 彼が盗むわけがない。 (There’s no way he would steal.)
Logical Impossibility
Used when something is logically impossible due to external constraints like money, time, or physical laws.
Example: この予算で家が建つわけがない。 (There’s no way a house can be built with this budget.)
Frequency
High in daily conversation and argumentative writing.
Difficulty
JLPT N3
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Example Sentences
Example #1
彼は毎日練習しているんだから、負けるわけがない。
Furigana: かれ(彼)はまいにち(毎日)れんしゅう(練習)しているんだから、ま(負)けるわけがない。
Romaji: Kare wa mainichi renshū shite iru n dakara, makeru wake ga nai.
English: There is no way he will lose because he practices every day.
Example #2
こんなに美味しい料理が、嫌いなわけがない。
Furigana: こんなにおい(美味)しいりょうり(料理)が、きら(嫌)いなわけがない。
Romaji: Konna ni oishii ryōri ga, kirai na wake ga nai.
English: There is no way anyone could hate such delicious food.
Example #3
彼が犯人のわけがない。ずっと私と一緒にいたんだから。
Furigana: かれ(彼)がはんにん(犯人)のわけがない。ずっとわたし(私)といっしょ(一緒)にいたんだから。
Romaji: Kare ga hannin no wake ga nai. Zutto watashi to issho ni ita n dakara.
English: There is no way he is the culprit. He was with me the whole time.
Example #4
一晩でこの本を全部読めるわけがない。
Furigana: ひとばん(一晩)でこのほん(本)をぜんぶ(全部)よ(読)めるわけがない。
Romaji: Hitoban de kono hon o zenbu yomeru wake ga nai.
English: It’s impossible to read this entire book in just one night.
Example #5
昨日は日曜日だったから、学校が開いているわけがない。
Furigana: きのう(昨日)はにちようび(日曜日)だったから、がっこう(学校)があ(開)いているわけがない。
Romaji: Kinō wa nichiyōbi datta kara, gakkō ga aite iru wake ga nai.
English: Yesterday was Sunday, so there is no way the school was open.
Example #6
彼が嘘をついているわけがない。彼は正直な人だ。
Furigana: かれ(彼)がうそ(嘘)をついているわけがない。かれ(彼)はしょうじき(正直)なひと(人)だ。
Romaji: Kare ga uso o tsuite iru wake ga nai. Kare wa shōjiki na hito da.
English: There is no way he is lying. He is a very honest person.
Example #7
準備もしていないのに、試験に合格できるわけがない。
Furigana: じゅんび(準備)もし(も)ていないのに、しけん(試験)にごうかく(合格)できるわけがない。
Romaji: Junbi mo shite inai no ni, shiken ni gōkaku dekiru wake ga nai.
English: Since you haven’t prepared at all, there is no way you can pass the exam.
Example #8
こんなに広い部屋、一人で掃除できるわけがない。
Furigana: こんなにひろ(広)いへや(部屋)、ひとり(一人)でそうじ(掃除)できるわけがない。
Romaji: Konna ni hiroi heya, hitori de sōji dekiru wake ga nai.
English: There is no way I can clean such a large room all by myself.
Example #9
あの二人が兄弟のわけがない。全然似ていない。
Furigana: あのふたり(二人)がきょうだい(兄弟)のわけがない。ぜんぜん(全然)に(似)ていない。
Romaji: Ano futari ga kyōdai no wake ga nai. Zenzen nite inai.
English: There’s no way those two are brothers. They don’t look alike at all.
Example #10
宝くじに簡単に当たるわけがない。
Furigana: たから(宝)くじにかんたん(簡単)にあ(当)たるわけがない。
Romaji: Takarakuji ni kantan ni ataru wake ga nai.
English: You can’t expect to win the lottery that easily.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Based on Logical Reasoning
The speaker’s conviction is based on a specific reason (he ate a lot).
Example: あんなに食べたのに、お腹が空いているわけがない。 (He ate so much, there’s no way he’s hungry.)
Double Negative Usage
The double negative ‘～ないわけがない’ creates a very strong positive affirmation.
Example: できないわけがない。 (There is no way I can’t do it / I can definitely do it.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ‘わけがない’ to mean ‘definitely can’ without a negative verb.
✅ できないはずがない (He should be able to do it) or できないわけがない.
Wake ga nai inherently implies a negative conclusion. If you mean ‘he definitely can,’ you must use the double negative.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Direct and strong. Use ‘わけがありません’ to be more polite.
Social Situations: Can sound quite confrontational if used directly to someone’s face to disagree.
Regional Variations: In Kansai dialect, sometimes replaced by ‘わけないやん’.
🔍 Subtle Differences
わけがない vs はずがない
‘Wake ga nai’ is slightly more subjective and focuses on the ‘logic’ of the situation, while ‘hazu ga nai’ focuses more on the speaker’s ‘expectation’ or ‘conviction’.
When to use: Use ‘wake ga nai’ when you want to emphasize that the situation itself makes something impossible.
わけがない vs わけではない
‘Wake ga nai’ means ‘absolutely not’, while ‘wake dewa nai’ means ‘it’s not necessarily the case’ (partial negation).
When to use: Use ‘wake dewa nai’ for softening a statement, ‘wake ga nai’ for strong denial.
📝 Conjugation Notes
For Nouns, use ‘Noun + の + わけがない’. For Na-adjectives, use ‘Na-adj + な + わけがない’. For verbs and I-adjectives, use the plain form.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘ga’ is often dropped in casual speech, becoming ‘wake nai’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘Wake’ as ‘reason’ or ‘logic’ and ‘nai’ as ‘none’. So, ‘Wake ga nai’ literally means ‘There is no reason/logic for this to be the case.’
Other Grammar
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