…できない
…dekinai
In Japanese, "cannot" is expressed through several forms. The default form is …できない (…dekinai). Wiktionary also lists …駄目である (…dame de aru) and …してはならない (…shite wa naranai).
Meaning: cannot (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| …できない | …dekinai |
| …駄目である | …dame de aru |
| …してはならない | …shite wa naranai |
| …してはいけない | …shite wa ikenai |
| 食べれない | taberenai |
Japanese uses different expressions to distinguish between being unable to do something and being forbidden from doing something. Use forms like …できない or 読めない to express a lack of ability, possibility or a physical inability to perform an action. To express that something is prohibited or that one is not allowed to do something, use …してはならない, …してはいけない, or いけません.
Which one should you use?
The forms …できない and 読めない express a lack of ability or possibility. In contrast, …してはいけない and …してはならない express a prohibition or that one is not allowed to do something. Additionally, だめ is used to convey that something is "no good" or "not allowed" in casual contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
For example, 食べれない is used instead of the standard potential form.
How do you pronounce it?
…dekinai
Did you know?
- The word 駄目 (dame), used to say something is 'no good' or 'cannot be done', originally referred to a target in archery that was broken or useless.
- When a Japanese person says できない (dekinai) to a request, they are often not saying they lack the physical ability, but are politely signaling that the request is socially impossible or inconvenient.
- In Japanese, you can express that you 'cannot' do something by using the phrase 無理 (muri), which literally means 'unreasonable' or 'impossible'. It is often used as a one-word refusal to avoid saying 'no' directly.
Examples in context
- ミーティングの日に出張がありますので、参加できません。I cannot attend the meeting because I have a business trip on that day.
- タバコはここでは吸ってはいけません。You cannot smoke here.
- 明日は忙しいので、遊びに行けない。I cannot go out to play tomorrow because I'm busy.
- このチケットはもう売り切れなので、買えない。I cannot buy this ticket because it's already sold out.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cannot” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
