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) + + Verb[できる][ない](A)
Details
Register Standard
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)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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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