Grammar Info
N1 Lesson 5: 6/17

～に〜ない
cannot even...if wants, would like to...but cannot, wants to...but cannot

Structure
Verb［る］(A) + に + Verb［できる］［ない］(A)
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使用域 一般
Information
  • [A[る]にA[Potential[ない]] is used when one wants to do action A, but circumstances make it impossible]
  • [言うに言えない、泣くに泣けない and 引くに引けない are common set expressions using this pattern]
  • [This pattern is generally used with に by itself. Sometimes Verb[る]にも is used, but the verb is not repeated and some other verb in negative form is used instead]
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中学生（ちゅうがくせい）の頃（ころ）、好（す）きな子（こ）に告白（こくはく）して断（ことわ）られた。周（まわ）りに人（ひと）がいたから泣（な）くに泣（な）けない状況（じょうきょう）だった。
During my junior high school days, I confessed to a girl I liked and was rejected. There were some people nearby, so I was in a position where I could not cry even if I wanted to.
[By extension of the basic meaning, 泣くに泣けない has also come to mean “extremely depressed” or “extremely mortified”]
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    • 嫌（きら）われている上司（じょうし）が見事（みごと）に転（ころ）んでしまった。従業員（じゅうぎょういん）が笑（わら）うに笑（わら）えない、という顔（かお）をしてた。
    The boss that everyone hates had a spectacular fall. The employees' faces looked as though they wanted to laugh but were unable to.
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    • 「彼（かれ）はどうして学校（がっこう）に戻（もど）ろうとしないのかな？」
    「何（なに）があったか知（し）らないけど、言（い）うに言（い）えない事情（じじょう）があるのかな。」
    "Why is he not willing to go back to school?"
    "I’m not sure if something happened or not, but maybe he is in a situation where he cannot talk about it (even though he may want to)."
    [By extension of the basic meaning, 言うに言えない has come to mean “unspeakable”]
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    The conjunctive に
    Imabi
    Books
    Try N1
    Page 92
    Shin Kanzen Master N1 Bunpou
    Page 58
    Sou Matome Bunpou N1
    Page 81
    A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar
    Page 408
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