〜を禁じ得ない (~o kinjienai) — can't help feeling ~

Seeing or hearing about something, anger, tears or pity rise on their own and can't be held back — stiff, written style.

Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)

N + を禁じ得ない

Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)

When to use it

The news reports the arrest of a gang that phones elderly people and cheats them out of their money.
A newspaper article ends: 「弱い立場の人をだます犯人の身勝手さには、怒りを禁じ得ない」— 'one cannot hold back anger at the selfishness of criminals who cheat the vulnerable.'
The speaker is 'I', and it sounds far too stiff in a chat with friends.

Meaning

「禁じる」= to forbid, 「得ない」= cannot; so 「〜を禁じ得ない」= even if you try to stop the feeling rising in you, you can't.
The feeling comes by itself when you see or hear something outside you — news, someone's suffering, a shocking sight: 涙・怒り・同情・驚き・笑い.

How to attach

Attach a feeling noun + 「を禁じ得ない」; it is very often in the past, 「禁じ得なかった」.

Versus what you know

How it differs from 「に堪えない」in this lesson: that is a feeling that fills your heart on your own occasion, usually said straight to people in a speech (感謝に堪えません)
「を禁じ得ない」is a reaction to an outside event, a feeling you would normally keep in check.
N2「〜ずにはいられない」(泣かずにはいられない) is the everyday verb version; 「涙を禁じ得ない」is its stiff, written noun version.

Watch out

The key rule: only nouns for feelings that rise on their own can come first — not something you choose to do (「休むことを禁じ得ない」✗).

Examples (उदाहरणहरू)

被災地の様子をニュースで見て、涙を禁じ得なかった。

ひさいちのようすをニュースでみて、なみだをきんじえなかった。

Seeing the disaster area on the news, I couldn't hold back my tears.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 被災地の様子 = the state of the disaster area (an outside event) → 涙 = tears (N) → 「を禁じ得なかった」 (past) = I couldn't hold back my tears.

お年寄りをだます犯人の身勝手さには、怒りを禁じ得ない。

おとしよりをだますはんにんのみがってさには、いかりをきんじえない。

I can't help feeling angry at the selfishness of criminals who cheat the elderly.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 犯人の身勝手さ = the criminals' selfishness (the cause of the anger) → 「には」 → 怒り = anger (N) → 「を禁じ得ない」 = I can't hold back my anger → newspaper-article style.

長年勤めた会社を突然解雇された人々には、同情を禁じ得ない。

ながねんつとめたかいしゃをとつぜんかいこされたひとびとには、どうじょうをきんじえない。

I can't help feeling sympathy for the people suddenly fired from the company they served for years.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 解雇された人々 = people who were fired (someone else's suffering) → 同情 = sympathy (N) → 「を禁じ得ない」 = I can't help feeling sympathy.

Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)

Question: 1/3

「事故の知らせを聞いて、驚き＿禁じ得なかった。」— fill the blank.

💡 Hint: You can't 'stop' the feeling — which particle marks the thing stopped?