modality N2 uncommon politewritten
〜ようではないか — let's ~ / shall we not ~
〜ようではないか ・ ようではないか
Builds on 意向形
Meaning
- let's ~ / shall we not ~ / I urge that we ~ — a formal, rallying call to do something together
The volitional + ではないか read as a rhetorical 'shall we not ~?', which lands as a strong, dignified 'let's ~'. It's the speech-making register of 〜ましょう: a leader rousing a group, an editorial calling readers to act. みんなで力を合わせて、この困難を乗り越えようではないか ('let us join forces and overcome this hardship'). The casual contraction is 〜ようじゃないか.
Key sentence
今こそ、立ち上がろうではないか。
Now is the time — let us rise up.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb volitional form + ではないか (casual: じゃないか) | V(volitional) + ではないか | 頑張ろう → 頑張ろうではないか |
When: Speeches, editorials, dramatic or rousing appeals to a group. Too grand for everyday plans — ordinary speech uses 〜ましょう / 〜よう.
Examples
この問題について、もう一度よく考えてみようではないか。
Let us think this problem over carefully once more.
彼の挑戦を、みんなで応援しようではないか。
Let's all get behind his challenge.
正々堂々と戦おうじゃないか。
Let's fight fair and square, shall we?
Easily confused with
〜ではないか Plain ではないか attaches to a statement for 'isn't it ~?' (rhetorical confirmation). On a *volitional* verb it becomes this exhortation 'let's ~' — same ではないか, but the よう before it flips it from confirming to rallying. 〜よう / 〜ましょう Bare 〜よう / 〜ましょう is the everyday 'let's ~'; 〜ようではないか is its grand, oratorical upgrade — a call to action with weight behind it.
Notes
- じゃないか is the casual spoken contraction of ではないか; the meaning is identical, just less formal.
See 〜ようではないか in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ようではないか 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.