modality N2 uncommon casualpolitewritten
ないこともない — it's not impossible to/that ~
ないこともない
Builds on こと
Meaning
- it's not impossible to ~ / it's not that ~ can't happen / I suppose ~ — a hedged double negative giving a cautious, half-reluctant 'yes' or admitting a faint possibility
Deliberately understated — the speaker concedes a possibility or a mild yes while holding back full commitment. Often signals reluctance, modesty, or 'under the right conditions.'
Key sentence
急げば、間に合わないこともない。
If we hurry, it's not impossible to make it in time.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / い-adj (ない form), な-adj・noun + でない | V(ない) / Aく+ない / Nでない + こともない | できないこともない / おいしくないこともない |
Examples
嫌いというわけではない。むしろ好きじゃないこともない。
It's not that I dislike it — if anything, I sort of like it.
一人でやれないこともないが、手伝ってもらえると助かる。
It's not that I can't do it alone, but a hand would be welcome.
Easily confused with
なくもない なくもない is the more compact, casual version of the same hedge ('it's not that there isn't'); ないこともない adds こと and feels a touch more deliberate. ないでもない ないでもない is near-identical for verbs of feeling/thinking ('I do sort of ~'); ないこともない leans toward conceding a possibility or capability. ないものでもない ないものでもない is the more formal/literary, slightly grander version ('it's not entirely out of the question'); ないこともない is everyday.
Notes
- The は-marked variant ないことはない is the same hedge with a touch more firmness ('it's not the case that not ~').
See ないこともない in real sentences
Jengo shows ないこともない the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.