Lesson 161: かねる・かねない・得る・っこない

N2 · Lesson 161 · 18 min — Refuse politely, worry about bad results, say 'possible / impossible', and tell a friend 'no way!': the ward office's reply

Last lesson, Piyo's drawing became the cover of the petition. In this lesson, Rin gets the ward office's first reply. You will learn four ways to talk about 'possible / impossible': かねる (I'm afraid I can't), かねない (may well), 得うる (it's possible), and っこない (no way). First, read the comic!

After this lesson, you can:

• Understand and use the soft refusal かねます: 賛成さんせいしかねます = I'm afraid I can't agree
• Use かねない to warn 'this could end badly': 事故じこに なりかねない
• Say 'possible / impossible' with 得うる／得えない, and read うる・える correctly
• Tell a friend 'no way!' with っこない, and read 来きっこない correctly

Ward Office Reply

Piyo's cover is done, and Rin hands the alternative plan to the ward office. The first reply is here! (案あん = plan, 賛成さんせい = agree, 事故じこ = accident, 通とおる = pass through, 勝かつ = win)

かねます = I'm afraid I can't; かねない = may well; 得うる = possible; っこない = no way. Next lesson: under the snowy tree, can Rin hold on?

Words for this lesson: the ward office and 'possible / impossible'

• 〜かねます (kanemasu): I'm afraid I can't ~, not in a position to ~ (polite refusal)
• 〜かねない (kanenai): may well ~, could end up ~ (bad result)
• あり得うる (ariuru): it's possible (to happen / exist)
• あり得えない (arienai): impossible; (casual) no way, unbelievable
• 勝かてっこない (katekkonai): no way I could win; can't possibly win
• 賛成さんせい (sansei): agreement, approval
• 案あん (an): plan, proposal
• 回答かいとう (kaitō): (formal) reply, answer
• 窓口まどぐち (madoguchi): service counter (at an office or bank)
• 丁寧ていねい (teinei): polite; careful
• 事故じこ (jiko): accident
• 救急車きゅうきゅうしゃ (kyūkyūsha): ambulance
• 通とおる (tōru): to pass, to go through
• 勝かつ (katsu): to win, to beat
• チーム (chīmu): team
• 方法ほうほう (hōhō): method, way
• 判断はんだん (handan): judgment
• 起おこる (okoru): to happen, to occur
• 地震じしん (jishin): earthquake
• 風邪かぜ (kaze): a cold (風邪かぜを ひく = catch a cold)
• 合格ごうかく (gōkaku): to pass (an exam)
• 転ころぶ (korobu): to fall down, to trip
• 一晩ひとばん (hitoban): one night
• 残のこす (nokosu): to leave behind (uneaten)
• 坂さか (saka): slope, hill
• 一気いっきに (ikki ni): in one go, in one breath

Grammar 1 / 4: かねる

Verb ます-form (minus ます) + かねる = I'm afraid I can't ~ / not in a position to ~: because of your position, rules or feelings, it is hard to do even if you want to. It is most often a polite refusal: その 案あんには 賛成さんせいしかねます = I'm afraid I can't agree to that plan.

• Form: Vます形けい (minus ます) + かねる: 賛成さんせいします → 賛成さんせいし＋かねます; わかります → わかり＋かねます; 決きめます → 決きめ＋かねる.
• Meaning: want to, but it is hard to do: Because of your position, rules or feelings, 'even if you want to, it is hard to do'. The point is 'not convenient or appropriate', not 'not able'.
• Most common: polite refusal: Shop staff, service counters and companies love かねます: わかりかねます (we can't say, sorry), お答こたえしかねます (we can't answer that). When you hear it, it means 'no', just said very politely.
• Not for ability: For ability problems like not being able to swim or read, use the negative potential form: 泳およげません. 泳およぎかねます would sound very strange.

• その 案あんには 賛成さんせいしかねます。 — I'm afraid I can't agree to that plan.
• すみませんが、わかりかねます。 — Sorry, we can't answer that.
• その 質問しつもんには お答こたえしかねます。 — I'm afraid I can't answer this question.
• どちらに するか、決きめかねて いる。 — I still can't decide which one to choose.
• 電話でんわでは 判断はんだんしかねます。 — By phone alone, it is hard for us to judge.

Grammar 2 / 4: かねない

Verb ます-form (minus ます) + かねない = may well ~ / could end up ~: if things go on like this, a bad result is very likely. 事故じこに なりかねない = it could well cause an accident.

• Form: Vます形けい (minus ます) + かねない: なります → なり＋かねない; ひきます → ひき＋かねない; 忘わすれます → 忘わすれ＋かねない. The polite form is かねません.
• Meaning: may well ~: It means 'if things go on like this, a bad result is very likely', and it carries worry or a warning. The ward office is worried: on a narrow road, something could go wrong when an ambulance passes.
• Only for bad results: You cannot use it for good things like 合格ごうかく (passing an exam). For a good possibility, use かもしれない.
• Don't mix it up with かねる: かねます = I'm afraid I can't (I won't do it); かねない／かねません = may well (it could happen). They look almost the same, but the meanings are nearly opposite!

• 道みちが 狭せまいと、事故じこに なりかねない。 — If the road is too narrow, it could cause an accident.
• 寝ねないで 勉強べんきょうすると、風邪かぜを ひきかねない。 — If you keep studying without sleep, you may well catch a cold.
• あの 人ひとなら、約束やくそくを 忘わすれかねない。 — Knowing him, he may well forget the appointment.
• そんな 言いい方かたを すると、誤解ごかいされかねません。 — If you talk like that, you could easily be misunderstood. (誤解ごかい = misunderstanding)
• このままでは、古ふるい 店みせが なくなりかねない。 — If this goes on, the old shop could well disappear.

Grammar 3 / 4: 得うる

Verb ます-form (minus ます) + 得うる = it's possible to ~; + 得えない = it's impossible to ~. It talks about whether something can happen or exist. ほかの 方法ほうほうも まだ あり得うる = there may still be another way.

• Form: Vます形けい (minus ます) + 得うる: あります → あり＋得うる; 起おこります → 起おこり＋得うる; 考かんがえます → 考かんがえ＋得うる.
• Reading: うる・える: The dictionary form can be read うる or える: あり得うる／あり得える. All other forms are always read え: 得えない, 得えます, 得えません.
• Meaning: possible / impossible: 得うる = possible (to happen or exist); 得えない = impossible. The most common pair is あり得うる／あり得えない. In casual speech, 'ありえない!' means 'No way!' or 'Unbelievable!'
• Not for everyday ability: To say whether a person can do something in daily life, use the potential form: 話はなせる. 得うる mainly says whether something is possible, and it sounds fairly formal (there are a few exceptions in written language).

• ほかの 方法ほうほうも まだ あり得うる。 — There may still be another way.
• 地震じしんは いつでも 起おこり得うる。 — An earthquake could happen at any time.
• そんな ことは あり得えない。 — That kind of thing is impossible.
• 考かんがえ得うる 方法ほうほうは 全部ぜんぶ 試ためした。 — We have tried every method we could think of. (試ためす = try)
• 計画けいかくが 変かわる ことも あり得えます。 — The plan could change, too.

Grammar 4 / 4: っこない

Verb ます-form (minus ます) + っこない = no way ~ / there's no chance ~: a strong, casual expression. 勝かてっこない = no way we'll win. For 来くる, say 来きっこない (read きっこない).

• Form: Vます形けい (minus ます) + っこない: The 勝かて in 勝かてっこない is the ます-form of the potential verb 勝かてる, minus ます. 勝かてます → 勝かて＋っこない; できます → でき＋っこない; 来きます → 来き＋っこない (read きっこない).
• Meaning: no way ~: 'There's absolutely no way ~'. It is strong, and close in meaning to わけが ない.
• Often follows a potential form: It is most common with 'can do' verbs like 勝かてる, できる, わかる and 覚おぼえられる: 勝かてっこない = no way we can win.
• Only between friends: っこない is very casual. Don't use it at a service counter or with a teacher. わけが ありません／はずが ありません are polite in form but still strong. To soften it, say 「それは 難むずかしいと 思おもいます」 or 「できないと 思おもいます」.

• もう 勝かてっこないよ。 — There's no way we can win anymore.
• 一晩ひとばんで 全部ぜんぶ 覚おぼえられっこない。 — No way you can memorize it all in one night.
• こんな 雪ゆきの 日ひに、バスなんて 来きっこない。 — In snow like this, there's no way the bus will come.
• そんな 難むずかしい こと、できっこないよ。 — Something that hard? No way you can do it.
• 説明せつめいしても、わかりっこないよ。 — Even if you explain it, there's no way he'll understand.