Grammar Info
N1 Lesson 9: 14/20

を禁（きん）じ得（え）ない
Cannot help feeling, Cannot but, Cannot hold back

Structure
Casual
Polite
Noun + を禁じ得ない
Verb + の + を禁じ得ない
Noun + を禁じ得ません
Verb + の + を禁じ得ません
Structure Legend  
Details
Register Formal
使用域 硬い
Information
  • (A) を禁じ得ない is a formal phrase used when the speaker/writer cannot suppress the rise of certain emotions (sadness, happiness, etc.) or the result of those emotions (like laughter or crying).
  • It is generally used with a limited number of expressions like: 涙、笑い、同情（の念）、驚き（の念）、怒り、苦しみ、失望、喜び、感動. This expression is uncommon in daily conversation.
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この生徒（せいと）たちは流暢（りゅうちょう）な日本語（にほんご）でニュースについて議論（ぎろん）していたが、彼（かれ）らは2年（ねん）前（まえ）から日本語（にほんご）を勉強（べんきょう）し始（はじ）めたと聞（き）いて、驚（おどろ）きを禁（きん）じ得（え）なかった。
I could not help being surprised, hearing that these students who were discussing the news in fluent Japanese, had started studying it two years ago.
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    • この不況（ふきょう）の中（なか）、政治家（せいじか）が自分（じぶん）の給与（きゅうよ）を上（あ）げるとの報道（ほうどう）を耳（みみ）にし、怒（いか）りを禁（きん）じ得（え）ません。
    I cannot help but feel anger upon hearing the news that the politicians raised their salaries during this time of recession.
    notice that を禁じ得ない is often a reaction to hearing or seeing something
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    • 《伝記（でんき）》戦争（せんそう）がこの地方（ちほう）にもたらした破壊（はかい）を見（み）て、涙（なみだ）を禁（きん）じ得（え）なかった。
    Biography: I could not hold back tears after seeing the destruction that the war brought upon this area.
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    A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar
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