Lesson 190: ない ものでもない・を 余儀なく される

N1 · Lesson 190 · 17 min — A hedged "I could, actually" and the news word for "forced to": the tree is saved at last!

Last lesson, everyone waited at くまや for the result. This lesson has two N1 patterns: ないものでもない (not impossible) and を余儀よぎなくされる (be forced to ~). The result is out, so let's start with the comic!

After this lesson, you can:

• Say a hedged "not impossible" with ないものでもない: やれない ものでもない
• Say the casual version with 〜なくも ない: わからなくも ない
• Understand news that says "was forced to ~": 計画けいかくの 見直みなおしを 余儀よぎなく された
• Say "(cause) forced ~" with を余儀よぎなくさせる: 台風たいふうは 住民じゅうみんに 避難ひなんを 余儀よぎなく させた

The tree is saved!

After a long night, on a morning in late March, Rin opens the paper at the station. The amended plan saves the tree. The road will widen a little on the くまや side, so くまや will move next to the tree. (見直みなおし = review, 残のこる = remain, 移転いてん = relocation, 柵さく = fence, 花はなより だんご = dumplings over flowers)

N を余儀よぎなくされる = forced by circumstances to ~; Vないものでもない = not impossible to ~. Next lesson: the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and a 50-year-old promise comes true!

Words for this lesson: news, plans and having no choice

• 〜ない ものでもない (nai mono demo nai): not impossible to ~; can't say I couldn't (a hedged yes)
• 〜なくも ない (naku mo nai): not impossible to ~ (casual version)
• 〜を 余儀よぎなく される (o yoginaku sareru): be forced to ~; have no choice but to ~ (pushed by circumstances)
• 〜を 余儀よぎなく させる (o yoginaku saseru): force (someone) to ~
• 区く (ku): ward (an administrative district, like Tokyo's 23 wards); as a news subject, it means the ward government (ward office = 区役所くやくしょ)
• 計画けいかく (keikaku): plan
• 見直みなおし (minaoshi): review, reconsideration
• 残のこる (nokoru): remain, be left
• やる (yaru): do (casual)
• 移転いてん (iten): relocation, moving (of a shop or company)
• 柵さく (saku): fence
• 変更へんこう (henkō): change, alteration
• 中止ちゅうし (chūshi): cancellation, suspension
• 延期えんき (enki): postponement
• 避難ひなん (hinan): evacuation
• 入院にゅういん (nyūin): hospitalization
• 閉店へいてん (heiten): closing a shop, going out of business
• 住民じゅうみん (jūmin): residents
• 台風たいふう (taifū): typhoon
• 欠航けっこう (kekkō): flight (or ferry) cancellation
• 赤字あかじ (akaji): deficit, running at a loss
• 条件じょうけん (jōken): condition
• 引ひき受うける (hikiukeru): take on (work, a task)
• 花見はなみだんご (hanami dango): hanami dango (three-color dumplings on a stick: pink, white, green)

Grammar 1 / 2: ないものでもない

Verb ない-form + ものでもない: not impossible to ~. Two negatives make a hedged yes: no promise, but it could happen. やれない ものでもない = it's not that I can't do it. In casual speech: 〜なくも ない: わからなくも ない = I do kind of get it.

• Form: Verb ない-form + ものでもない: Attach ものでもない to the verb's ない-form as it is: やれない ものでもない, 行いけない ものでもない. It is often used with the potential form. Don't change ない to なく: ✗ やれなく ものでもない.
• Meaning: a hedged yes: It's not "it will happen," and it's not "I really want to." It means "I don't rule it out." The speaker is a little reluctant or unsure, but doesn't say no. When you really want something, just say 〜たい.
• Often appears with a condition: 〜ば, 〜なら or 〜次第しだいでは + ないものでもない: 急いそげば、間まに合あわない ものでもない (if we hurry, it's not that we can't make it). State the condition first, then agree carefully.
• Casual version: Vなく + も ない: Change ない to なく and add も ない: わからない → わからなくも ない. Same meaning, more casual; ものでもない is stiffer. The 〜ない ことも ない you learned before is almost the same too.

• 新あたらしい 場所ばしょでも、やれない ものでもない。 — In the new place, it's not that it can't work.
• 急いそげば、終電しゅうでんに 間まに合あわない ものでもない。 — If I hurry, it's not that I can't catch the last train.
• 条件じょうけん次第しだいでは、その 仕事しごとを 引ひき受うけない ものでもない。 — Depending on the terms, I might take that job.
• この 値段ねだんなら、買かわない ものでもない。 — At this price, it's not that I wouldn't buy it.
• 熊太くまたの 気持きもちも、わからなくも ない。 — I can kind of understand how Kumata feels.

Grammar 2 / 2: を余儀よぎなくされる

N + を余儀よぎなくされる: be forced by circumstances (disaster, public opinion, rules) to ~. You don't want to, but there's no other way. N is an action noun: a word that takes する like 中止ちゅうし・変更へんこう・移転いてん, or a noun made from a verb like 見直みなおし. When the cause is the subject, use N を余儀よぎなくさせる.

• Form: N + を余儀よぎなくされる: N is an action noun: mostly the noun part of a する verb (中止ちゅうし, 移転いてん, 変更へんこう), or a noun made from a verb (見直みなおす → 見直みなおし). A noun takes を directly: 移転いてんを ✓. A verb can't take を directly: ✗ 移転いてんするを (with a verb you need こと: 移転いてんする ことを, but the noun form is the most common).
• Meaning: forced, no choice: 余儀よぎ = another way, so 余儀よぎなく = no other way. The subject didn't want to do it, but outside circumstances forced it: 大雨おおあめで、試合しあいは 中止ちゅうしを 余儀よぎなく された (because of heavy rain, the match had to be cancelled).
• させる: the cause as subject: Put the "forcing thing" as the subject: 台風たいふうは 住民じゅうみんに 避難ひなんを 余儀よぎなく させた (the typhoon forced residents to evacuate). In させる sentences, the forced party, marked with に, must be a person or group. The subject of される is not limited to people: a match, an event or a plan can also be it (試合しあいは 中止ちゅうしを 余儀よぎなく された).
• Written style for news and reports: Most common in news, reports and notices, and mostly in the past form 〜された. It's like the 〜ざるを 得えない you learned before: ざるを 得えない follows a verb and often shows your own judgment; を余儀よぎなくされる follows a noun and is often used for objective reporting.

• 区くは 計画けいかくの 見直みなおしを 余儀よぎなく された。 — The ward office was forced to review the plan.
• 大雨おおあめで、試合しあいは 中止ちゅうしを 余儀よぎなく された。 — Because of heavy rain, the match had to be cancelled.
• 台風たいふうで 飛行機ひこうきが 欠航けっこうし、私わたしたちは 旅行りょこうの 予定よていの 変更へんこうを 余儀よぎなく された。 — Because the typhoon cancelled flights, we had to change our travel plans.
• 赤字あかじが 続つづき、その 店みせは 閉店へいてんを 余儀よぎなく された。 — The losses kept piling up, and that shop was forced to close.
• 台風たいふうは 住民じゅうみんに 避難ひなんを 余儀よぎなく させた。 — The typhoon forced residents to evacuate.