adverbial N1 uncommon casualwritten

どうにも — (with negative) just can't

どうにも

Meaning

Key sentence

I just can't bring myself to do it.

Formation

Attaches toFormExample
Adverb before a negative or 'helpless' predicate どうにも + 〜ない / 〜ならない どうにもできない / どうにもならない

Examples

I tried apologizing, but no matter what, I couldn't get them to forgive me.
It's too late now — nothing can be done about it.

Easily confused with

〜ようにも〜ない 〜ようにも〜ない pins the impossibility to one specific intended action (帰かえろうにも帰かえれない); どうにも is a broad adverb — 'there's no way at all,' often with ならない. どうか どうか is 'somehow / please' (an earnest plea or a 'whether'); どうにも is 'no way / just can't,' always leaning to a negative or helpless predicate.

Notes

See どうにも in real sentences

Jengo shows どうにも the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.

← Back to the grammar tree