modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜ないことはない — it's not that one can't ~
〜ないことはない ・ ないことはない
Meaning
- it's not that one can't ~ / it's not impossible to ~ — a hedged, reluctant 'yes' via double negative
Key sentence
辛い物も食べられないことはない。
It's not that I can't eat spicy food.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb (negative; often potential + ない) | V-ない + ことはない | 食べられないことはない / 行けないことはない |
Examples
急げば、間に合わないことはない。
If we hurry, it's not impossible to make it.
彼の言い分も分からないことはない。
It's not that I don't see his point.
やろうと思えば、できないことはないけど…。
If I set my mind to it, it's not that I couldn't, but...
When you can't use it
- A double negative that lands on a guarded 'yes' ('I could, I suppose'). It signals reservation — much weaker and more grudging than a plain affirmative, and often trails off with けど.
Easily confused with
See 〜ないことはない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ないことはない the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.