modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
たまらない — can't stand it / unbearable
たまらない
Meaning
- can't stand it / unbearable / more than one can take — a feeling or sensation is overwhelming
Key sentence
暑くてたまらない。
It's unbearably hot.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone predicate | … たまらない (negative-looking but expresses overwhelming degree) | もう、たまらない。 |
| After て-form (the construction) | Adj/V-て + たまらない → see 〜てたまらない | 眠くてたまらない |
Examples
この暑さは、もうたまらない。
This heat is just unbearable.
辛いことばかりで、たまらない気持ちになる。
It's nothing but hardship — I get a feeling I can't take.
Easily confused with
Notes
- Positive flip: たまらない can also mean 'irresistibly good' — ビール好きにはたまらない一杯だ ('for a beer lover, this is a drink you can't get enough of'). Context decides whether the overwhelming feeling is bad or wonderful.
See たまらない in real sentences
Jengo shows たまらない 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 Basic Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.