Double Negation: 〜nai koto wa nai・〜naku mo nai (a hedged partial affirmation) [JLPT N3]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「食べないことはないが…」「分からなくもない」 — a hedged, reluctant yes dressed up as two negatives.
「食べないことはない」 — using a double negative to gently say “it's not that I can't…”
「この料理は食べないことはない」 (it's not that I can't eat this dish) — a double negative uses “negative ＋ negative” to take a roundabout route, gently admitting part of something, leaving room: neither a flat yes nor a total no, but “it's not that I don't…, I sort of…” Like 「ないことはない／なくもない／ないわけではない」. This guide covers the double negative's attachment and that “reserved, roundabout” feel — don't mistake it for emphatic negation.
Core: a double negative to gently admit part (it's not that I don't…)
A double negative = “negative ＋ negative,” a roundabout, gentle affirmation (leaving room, not pinning things down):
- 〜ないことはない = it's not that I can't…, not that I don't… (grudgingly admitting): できないことはない (it's not that I can't do it).
- 〜なくもない = it's not that I don't… (more reserved, hesitant): 食べたくなくもない (it's not that I don't want to eat).
- 〜ないわけではない = it's not the case that I don't… (denying “not at all”): 分からないわけではない (it's not that I don't understand).
Feel: reserved, roundabout — “not exactly…, but not entirely not… either.”
How to Connect
| Form | Attachment | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ない-form ＋ ことはない | not that I can't… | 行けないことはない （it's not that I can't go） |
| ない-form (drop い) ＋ くもない | not that I don't… | 食べたくなくもない （it's not that I don't want to eat it） |
| ない-form ＋ わけではない | not the case that not… | 嫌いなわけではない （it's not that I dislike it） |
Examples in context
- この料理は食べないことはないが、あまり好きじゃない。(It's not that I can't eat this, but I don't much like it.) — grudging admission
- 彼の言いたいことは、分からなくもない。(It's not that I don't get what he means.) — reserved
- お金がないから、旅行に行けないことはないが…(With no money, it's not that I can't travel, but…) — reserving
- 難しいが、できないこともない。(It's hard, but it's not that I can't do it.) — gentle affirmation
- 興味がないわけではない。(It's not that I have no interest.) — denying “none at all”
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
① Don't mistake it for “emphatic negation.” A double negative isn't “a stronger no,” but a roundabout “gentle yes” — 「食べないことはない」 = “I can eat it (it's just…),” not “absolutely won't eat.” Negative ＋ negative = a (gentle) affirmative. The most-reversed point.
② The feel is “reluctant, reserved admission.” 「〜ないことはない」 mostly carries “not that I'm eager/not exactly…, but I grudgingly sort of…” (できないことはない = (grudgingly) I can do it, but…). Not a hearty yes — it leaves room, with a caveat.
③ Often followed by 「が／けど」 with a caveat. A double negative often takes 「〜が…（but…)」: 行けないことはないが、遠い (it's not that I can't go, but it's far). This 「が」 brings the reserving reason — its typical context.
🔄 Nuance & comparison: ないことはない／なくもない／わけではない
| Form | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ないことはない | not that I can't… (grudging admission) | できないことはない （it's not that I can't do it） |
| 〜なくもない | not that I don't… (more reserved/hesitant) | 食べたくなくもない （it's not that I don't want to eat it） |
| 〜ないわけではない | not the case that not… (denies “not at all”) | 分からないわけではない （it's not that I don't understand） |
💡 The one thing to remember
The double negative (ないことはない／なくもない／ないわけではない) is most easily misread — it's not “a stronger negative,” but a roundabout “gentle affirmation”: negative ＋ negative = a (reserved) yes. 「食べないことはない」 = “I can eat it (just don't love it),” 「できないこともない」 = “it's not that I can't (I grudgingly can).” The core feel is “reluctant, room-leaving admission” — not exactly…, but not entirely not… either. Japanese loves this roundabout, non-committal expression (read-the-air culture). It's often followed by 「が／けど」 with a caveat (行けないことはないが、遠い). Grasp “negative ＋ negative = gentle affirmation” and you won't read it backwards. A very Japanese, measured expression.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: Is a double negative (ないことはない) a stronger negative?
No! This is the most common misunderstanding. A double negative “negative ＋ negative” = a roundabout (gentle) affirmation, not a stronger negative. 「食べないことはない」 = “(actually) I can eat it” (gently admitting I can), not “absolutely won't eat.” 「できないこともない」 = “it's not that I can't” = (grudgingly) I can. So negative plus negative cancels to a “(reserved) yes.” Its feel is a roundabout, room-leaving “not exactly…, but not entirely not…,” often with reluctance or a caveat. Never read it as “an emphasized no.”
Q: Why do Japanese people like this roundabout phrasing?
Because Japanese values being roundabout, not pinning things down, leaving room (the “read-the-air” culture). A flat 「できる (I can)」 is too assertive, 「できない (I can't)」 too final; 「できないこともない (it's not that I can't)」 is far softer — admitting it's possible, while reserving “with conditions, not so readily.” Likewise 「好きじゃないわけではない (it's not that I don't like it)」 is more reserved than a blunt 「好き」. This double negative is especially handy for softly declining, holding a reserved stance, or giving each other an out — a very Japanese sense of measure. Learn it and your Japanese becomes more tactful and layered.
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「この料理は食べ___が、あまり好きではない。」(It's not that I won't eat this dish, but I don't really like it — indirect)
(A) ないことはない (B) たくない (C) てばかり (D) るべきだ
Q2. 「彼の言いたいことは分から___。」(It's not that I don't understand what he wants to say — reserved)
(A) ないことはない (B) なくもない (C) ないわけではない (D) わかりかねる
(A) 完全な否定を強調する。
(B) 完全に否定するわけではなく、婉曲に一部を認める（not a complete negation, an indirect acknowledgment）。
(C) 質問形でのみ使う。
(D) 男性語のみ使う。
Q4. 「お金がないから旅行には行けないが、行き___。」(I can't travel because I have no money, but it's not that I don't want to go)
(A) たくもない (B) たくないことはない (C) たくなくもない (D) たいことはない
Q5. 「難しいが、でき___。練習すれば大丈夫です。」(It's hard, but it's not that you can't do it — gentle encouragement)
(A) なくもない (B) っこない (C) かねる (D) きれない
Answer Explanations
1. (A) ないことはない ──「食べないことはないが、あまり好きではない」(it's not that I won't eat it, but I don't really like it) = a double negative, indirectly acknowledging (that I do eat it). (B) たくない (don't want to eat), (C) てばかり (do nothing but eat), (D) るべきだ (should eat) mean different things.
2. (B) なくもない ──「彼の言いたいことは分からなくもない」(it's not that I don't understand what he means) = reserved acknowledgment that I do understand → なくもない is the most natural colloquially. (A) ないことはない is more written, (C) ないわけではない has a "to put it a certain way" tone, (D) わかりかねる is too direct / formal.
3. (B) ── The feature of a double negative: not a complete negation, but a reserved way of indirectly acknowledging "it's not that I don't 〜 (there's a part that is)."
4. (C) たくなくもない ──「行きたくなくもない」(it's not that I don't want to go) = a double negative, reservedly admitting I do somewhat want to go. (A) たくもない is a plain negation (don't want to go), (B) たくないことはない is stiff, (D) たいことはない is unnatural.
5. (A) なくもない ──「できなくもない」(it's not that you can't do it) = a double negative, indirectly expressing "you actually can do it." (B) っこない (absolutely impossible), (C) かねる (hard to), (D) きれない (can't 〜 fully) have the opposite tone.