Lesson 14
Possible, impossible, forbidden
- 1 〜にかたくない ~ni kataku nai it is not hard to (imagine / guess) ~ Even without seeing it yourself, 'it is easy to imagine' from the situation — a stiff, written form.
- 2 V に V ない (V) ni (V) nai want to ~ but can't bring oneself to The same verb twice — 'I'd like to, but something in my heart won't let me.'
- 3 〜（よ）うにも〜ない ~(y)ō ni mo ~nai try to ~ but can't (something blocks it) I try, but some outside reason shuts the road — 'even if I try, I can't.'
- 4 〜て（は）いられない ~te (wa) irarenai can't afford to (just keep) ~ — must act now No time left, or feelings too strong — 'I can't just stay like this; I must act now.'
- 5 〜べくもない ~beku mo nai there's no way one could ~ 'Out of the question — simply impossible in that situation': a stiff, written form.
- 6 〜べからず ~bekarazu do not ~ (a strict prohibition on signs) A strict 'Do not!' seen only on signs, notices and old mottos.
- 7 〜まじき ~majiki unbecoming of ~ / that must never be done 'Something a person in that position must never do' — a form of sharp criticism in the news.
- 8 〜術がない ~sube ga nai there is no way / means to ~ The stiff, written partner of 「ようがない」— the news way of saying 'there is no means at all'.
- 9 〜ずにすむ ~zu ni sumu get by without having to ~ The relief of 'phew!' when you get by without doing something you feared you'd have to do.
Lesson check
All 9 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
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「親を亡くした彼の悲しみは、察する＿＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:'Not hard to guess' — after the mind verb 察する.
察するにかたくない = easy to guess. 「べからず」is a sign's prohibition, 「まじき」needs a noun after it, and 「ずにすむ」attaches to the ない-form.
A park sign: 「ここでボール遊びをする＿＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A sign's strict 'Do not!'
A sign's prohibition = べからず. 「べくもない」= impossible, 「まじき」needs a noun, 「にかたくない」only goes with mind verbs.
「顧客の個人情報を売るなど、銀行員に＿＿＿行為だ。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:An act unbecoming of a position (銀行員), with the noun 行為 after it.
N にあるまじき N = utterly unbecoming of that position. A bank clerk selling customer data is a grave moral wrong.
「大雪で電車が止まり、帰ろう＿＿＿帰れなかった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Volitional (帰ろう) + ? + 'couldn't'.
Volitional + にも + negative potential: 帰ろうにも帰れなかった = I tried to go home but (with the trains stopped) couldn't. With 「に」alone you need the dictionary form: 帰るに帰れない.
「お世話になった先輩の頼みなので、断る＿＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:You could say no, but your heart won't let you.
断るに断れない = I'd like to refuse but can't bring myself to (I owe my senior) — a block in the heart.
「試合まであと三日だ。もう遊んで＿＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:After the て-form — 'can't stay like this'.
Vて + はいられない: 遊んではいられない = only three days left, no time to play around. The other three don't attach to the て-form.
「わたしの料理の腕など、プロの料理人とは比べる＿＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:'No way to even compare.'
比べるべくもない = there's no comparison at all. 「べからず」is a prohibition, 「まじき」needs a noun, 「にかたくない」= not hard — the meaning doesn't fit.
「事前にネットで予約したので、窓口で長時間並ば＿＿＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:並ば = the ない-form with 「ない」dropped; a feeling of relief.
Vない [[ない]] + ずにすむ: 並ばずにすんだ = I didn't have to queue for ages. 「術がない」「べくもない」「にかたくない」attach to the dictionary form.
Your score: /8