JLPT N2 grammar
〜かねる — Meaning & Examples
Cannot / am unable to — negative despite having no negative marker. お答えしかねます. The standard polite refusal in Japanese customer service.
〜かねる — The Polite Impossible
〜かねる = "cannot / am unable to." Despite having no negative marker, かねる is itself negative — this catches everyone.
Formation: ます-stem + かねる (polite: かねます)
その件については、お答えしかねます。
= I'm afraid I cannot answer regarding that matter.
ご要望にはお応えしかねます。
= We are unable to meet your request.
私には決めかねます。
= I'm not in a position to decide.
The nuance: it isn't "physically impossible" — it's "I cannot bring myself to / it would not be appropriate for me to." It softens a refusal by framing it as reluctance rather than rejection.
This is THE customer-service refusal in Japan. Shop staff, call centres and formal emails use it constantly, precisely because 〜できません sounds blunt.
〜かねない vs 〜かねる — do not mix them up:
言いかねない = might well say it (and that would be bad)
言いかねます = I cannot say it (polite refusal)
One is an affirmative warning; the other is a negative refusal. Same stem, opposite direction. 🔄
Practice questions
Try these 2 questions on 〜かねる. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. お答えしかねます means?
- I am unable to answer
- I will answer
- Please answer
- I might answer
Show answer
Answer: I am unable to answer
〜かねる is NEGATIVE despite having no negative marker. The standard polite refusal in Japanese customer service.
2. 言いかねない and 言いかねます differ how?
- かねない = might well say it (bad); かねます = I cannot say it
- They are the same
- かねない = cannot say; かねます = might say
- Only in politeness level
Show answer
Answer: かねない = might well say it (bad); かねます = I cannot say it
Same stem, opposite direction. かねない is an affirmative warning; かねる is a negative refusal.
Practise 〜かねる in the free app
This point is part of the “⚠️ Possibility & Refusal — かねない・かねる・っこない・得る” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N2 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N2 grammar points
From the same lesson: ⚠️ Possibility & Refusal — かねない・かねる・っこない・得る
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜かねる mean?
Cannot / am unable to — negative despite having no negative marker. お答えしかねます. The standard polite refusal in Japanese customer service.
Is 〜かねる on the JLPT N2 test?
〜かねる is taught in the JLPT N2 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “⚠️ Possibility & Refusal — かねない・かねる・っこない・得る”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜かねる?
Open the “⚠️ Possibility & Refusal — かねない・かねる・っこない・得る” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N2 mock exams, with no ads.