N2 · Expressions (N2)
かねない and かねる: could well; cannot
a risk somebody could cause, and a polite refusal
かねない warns that something bad could well happen; かねる is the polite "I am unable to".
At a glance
- Remember
- かねない: a bad thing could well happen. かねる: politely, I cannot.
- Form
- 事故を起こしかねないcould well cause an accident
- Signal words
- 〜かねない
- 〜かねません
- 〜かねます
- 〜かねる
- 申し訳ありませんが
- Trap
- Wrong:この薬を飲めば、早く治りかねない。Right:この薬を飲めば、早く治るかもしれない。
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| could well cause an accident | 事故を起こしかねない |
| could well fall ill | 病気になりかねない |
| he is quite capable of saying it | 言いかねない |
| I am unable to answer (polite) | お答えしかねます |
| we cannot accept it (polite) | お受けしかねます |
| I find it hard to decide | 決めかねる |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
ます-stem + かねない: something bad could well happen.
このままでは、大きな問題になりかねない。If things go on like this, it could well become a serious problem.
ます-stem + かねる: the polite "cannot".
申し訳ありませんが、ご予約の変更はできかねます。I am sorry, but we are unable to change your booking.
かねない is negative in form but a warning in meaning.
彼なら、約束を忘れかねない。He is quite capable of forgetting the promise.
Both need a context of difficulty or risk; neither is used for a good outcome.
寝不足は病気の原因になりかねない。Lack of sleep can easily lead to illness.
Example sentences
スピードを出しすぎると、事故になりかねない。Going too fast could easily lead to an accident.
その言い方では、誤解されかねない。Putting it that way, you could well be misunderstood.
無理をすると、体を壊しかねませんよ。If you overdo it, you could ruin your health.
個人的なご質問にはお答えしかねます。I am afraid I cannot answer personal questions.
その件については、私からは申し上げかねます。I am not in a position to comment on that matter.
どちらにするか、まだ決めかねている。I still cannot make up my mind which to choose.
7 more example sentences
彼の性格なら、会社を辞めかねない。Knowing him, he could well quit his job.
小さなミスが大きな事故につながりかねない。A small mistake can easily lead to a serious accident.
今の発言は問題になりかねません。What you just said could well cause trouble.
当店では現金でのお支払いはお受けできかねます。We are unable to accept payment in cash at this store.
ご希望には添いかねます。I am afraid we cannot meet your request.
子どもを一人にすると、危ないことをしかねない。Left alone, a child could easily do something dangerous.
彼女は返事に困って、答えかねていた。She was at a loss for an answer and could not reply.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
かねない looks like a neutral "could", and learners use it for any possibility. But it always warns of something bad; a quick recovery is good news, and good news takes かもしれない or だろう.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Both attach to the ます-stem and look like each other, but they point in opposite directions. かねない means "could well", "is quite capable of": あんなに急いだら、事故を起こしかねない, "rushing like that, he could easily cause an accident". The result is always bad, and the speaker thinks it a real possibility.
かねる means "cannot", "is unable to", and is used to decline politely: その質問にはお答えしかねます, "I am afraid I cannot answer that question". It is the language of counters, customer service and formal letters, where a flat できません would sound blunt.
The negative ending of かねない does not make it negative in meaning. "Cannot not happen" in the sense of "is not unlikely" is how to read it: the form has a negative and the meaning is a warning. Learners who translate the parts get it backwards.
Compared with おそれがある, かねない is a little more personal and is often about what somebody's behaviour might lead to; おそれがある is the impersonal danger of forecasts and labels. Both need a bad outcome.
A closer look
Why かねる is polite
かねる originally meant "to find it hard to", and a polite refusal with it says that the speaker would like to help but finds it impossible — the difficulty is the situation's, not the speaker's unwillingness. できません states a refusal; いたしかねます regrets one.
That is why it is so common in service language, together with an apology: 申し訳ございませんが、返品はお受けいたしかねます. Hearing it, a customer knows the answer is no, and that nobody wants to say so bluntly.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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かねる is used about the speaker's own hesitation
it means "find it hard to", without any refusal: 決めかねる, "cannot make up one's mind"; 見るに見かねて, "unable to stand by and watch".
困っている人を見かねて、声をかけた。Unable to just watch somebody in trouble, I spoke to them.
This is the older meaning of the verb, and it survives in a few common combinations alongside the polite refusal.
Worth knowing (1)
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In service language
The polite refusal usually combines a humble verb with かねる: いたしかねます, お答えしかねます, 分かりかねます. It is almost always preceded by an apology.
申し訳ございませんが、それは分かりかねます。I am very sorry, but I am unable to say.
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