modality N1 uncommon casualwritten
〜ないものか — isn't there some way to ~?
〜ないものか ・ ないものか
Builds on ない形
Meaning
- isn't there some way to ~? / I do wish ~ — an earnest, often wistful wish that something could be done; rhetorical
Key sentence
何とか彼を助けてやれないものか。
Isn't there some way I could help him out?
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb ない-form (often potential); softer 〜ないものだろうか | V-ない + ものか |
Examples
もっと安く手に入らないものか。
I do wish I could get it more cheaply — isn't there some way?
この問題を解決できないものかと、ずっと考えている。
I keep wondering whether there isn't some way to solve this problem.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 〜ないものだろうか / 〜ないものかと are common softer or embedded variants; earnest, often said to oneself. Distinct from the defiant rhetorical ものか ('as if!') — here ない + ものか is a yearning question.
See 〜ないものか in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ないものか 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.