JLPT N4–N1Choice guide

Furigana

はずがない・わけがない・っこない・とても～ない・ようがない・べくもない・どうにも～ない・には無む理りがある

Choosing the right kind of impossibility

English “there is no way” covers several different judgments. Japanese normally makes you choose what is impossible: a claim may conflict with the facts, a task may exceed practical capacity, an intended action may be blocked, or no method may exist at all. Identify that diagnosis first; strength and register come second.

What exactly are you denying?

Use this map before thinking about the English translation.

Cannot reasonably be expectedはずがない

It conflicts with known facts or expectations

はずがない

A schedule, rule, record, or other known fact makes the idea unreasonable.

There is no wayわけがない

I categorically reject the claim

わけがない

You present an idea as out of the question from your point of view.

Said directly in response to someone, this can sound dismissive.

There is no wayっこない

No chance that action will happen

っこない

You want a forceful, distinctly casual denial about an action, ability, or outcome.

It can belittle another person's ability and is unsuitable for formal refusals.

Cannot possiblyとても～ない

The task is beyond practical capacity

とても～ない

Something cannot realistically be managed, afforded, tolerated, or accepted.

No way to doようがない・ようもない No means available術がない

No workable method exists

ようがない or the more elevated 術すべがない

Necessary information, access, equipment, procedure, or an effective countermeasure is unavailable.

This is not merely a lack of personal skill.

Would do it, but cannot言うに言えない・帰ろうにも帰れない

I want or need to act, but I am blocked

言いうに言いえない or 帰かえろうにも帰かえれない

The action is intended or emotionally pressing, but circumstances or hesitation prevent it.

Utterly impossibleべくもない

The possibility is beyond consideration

べくもない

Formal or literary writing calls for a sweeping judgment such as “beyond doubt” or “impossible to imagine.”

Prefer established combinations rather than attaching it freely to everyday verbs.

Impossible to manage by any approachどうにも～ない

The problem defeats every realistic response

どうにも～ない

A situation remains unmanageable, inexplicable, or beyond repair however one approaches it.

There is an unrealistic strain inには無理がある

The proposal itself is unrealistic

には無む理りがある

You are criticizing a plan, schedule, standard, demand, or interpretation as badly matched to the conditions.

Facts, personal rejection, and casual certainty

Someone is accused of taking part in an incident.

Cannot reasonably be expectedはずがない

出しゅつ入にゅう国こく記き録ろくでは、事じ件けんの日ひ、彼かれは国こく外がいにいた。現げん場ばにいたはずがない。

According to the immigration record, he was outside the country on the day of the incident. He cannot have been at the scene.

The documented location supplies the basis for the conclusion.

There is no wayわけがない

彼かれが仲なか間まを裏うら切ぎるわけがない。

There is no way he would betray his colleagues.

The speaker presents the accusation itself as unthinkable.

There is no wayっこない

あいつがそんな計けい画かくに加くわわりっこないよ。

There is no way that guy would join a scheme like that.

This is forceful casual speech and sounds much more conversational.

Takeaway: はずがない tends to foreground the evidence or expectation, while わけがない tends to foreground categorical rejection. This is a useful tendency, not a rigid rule; natural uses overlap. っこない adds a strongly casual, personal punch.

Beyond capacity, no method, or no effective response?

とても～ない judges a task to be beyond realistic capacity. ようがない is narrower: a required route or method is missing. どうにも～ない looks at the whole problem and says that no available approach can bring it under control.

この予よ算さんでは、新あたらしい機き材ざいはとても買かえない。

With this budget, buying new equipment is simply out of reach.

設せっ計けい図ずも見み本ほんも残のこっておらず、同おなじ装そう置ちを作つくり直なおしようがない。

Neither the plans nor a sample remain, so there is no way to rebuild the same device.

部ぶ品ひんを替かえても原げん因いんが分わからず、この不ふ具ぐ合あいはどうにも直なおせない。

Even after replacing parts, the cause remains unknown, and this fault simply cannot be fixed by any workable approach.

When intention meets an obstacle

エレベーターに閉とじ込こめられ、携けい帯たいもつながらず、助たすけを呼よぼうにも呼よべなかった。

I was trapped in the elevator, and with no phone connection, I could not call for help even though I tried.

The repeated action makes the frustrated intention central. The point is not just that calling was impossible, but that the person wanted or tried to call and was blocked.

Three writing-oriented judgments

べくもない makes an elevated assertion that something lies beyond doubt, knowledge, imagination, comparison, or hope. 術すべがない seriously and explicitly states that no means is available; the character is read すべ here. には無む理りがある is less absolute: it diagnoses a serious flaw or strain in a proposed plan or interpretation.

当とう時じの住じゅう民みんが感かんじた恐きょう怖ふは、今いまの私わたしたちには想そう像ぞうすべくもない。

The fear felt by the residents at the time is beyond our imagination today.

通つう信しん手しゅ段だんをすべて失うしない、外がい部ぶへ状じょう況きょうを知しらせる術すべがなかった。

Having lost every means of communication, there was no way to inform the outside world of the situation.

一人ひとりで三みっ日か以い内ないに全ぜん支し店てんを調ちょう査さする計けい画かくには無む理りがある。

A plan to inspect every branch within three days using one person is unrealistic.

More examples across the family

今日きょうは休きゅう館かん日びだから、美び術じゅつ館かんが開あいているはずがない。

Today is the museum's closing day, so it cannot be open.

あれだけ準じゅん備びした彼かれが、理り由ゆうもなく発はっ表ぴょうを休やすむわけがない。

After preparing that much, there is no way he would skip the presentation for no reason.

この雨あめじゃ、屋おく外がいの試し合あいなんてできっこないよ。

In this rain, there is no way we can hold an outdoor match.

この重おもさでは、一人ひとりで箱はこを持もち上あげるなんてとてもできない。

At this weight, lifting the box alone is simply impossible.

記き録ろくがすべて消しょう去きょされていて、誰だれが変へん更こうしたのか調しらべようがない。

All the records have been erased, so there is no way to investigate who made the change.

相あい手てが泣ないているのを見みて、別わかれの理り由ゆうを聞きこうにも聞きけなかった。

Seeing the other person crying, I could not ask the reason for the breakup even though I wanted to.

この発はっ見けんが医い学がくに与あたえた影えい響きょうは、疑うたがうべくもない。

The influence this discovery had on medicine is beyond doubt.

何なん度ど設せっ定ていを変かえても、この接せつ続ぞくの問もん題だいだけはどうにも解かい決けつできない。

No matter how many times I change the settings, I simply cannot resolve this connection problem.

唯ゆい一いつの橋はしが崩くずれ、村むらへ物ぶっ資しを運はこぶ術すべがなかった。

The only bridge had collapsed, leaving no means of transporting supplies to the village.

確かく認にんを一人ひとりだけに任まかせる現げん在ざいの手て順じゅんには無む理りがある。

The current procedure, which leaves all checking to one person, is seriously flawed.

Choosing how to express difficultyUse this guide to distinguish true impossibility from actions that are merely difficult, painful, or hard to carry out.Choosing a form for confidence and expectationUse this guide to compare negative impossibility judgments with positive predictions, expectations, explanations, and strong conclusions.Choosing between possibility and riskUse this guide when the outcome remains possible and the real choice is between neutral uncertainty, formal possibility, and concerning risk.When there is no acceptable alternativeUse this guide when an action is possible but circumstances, duty, or outside pressure leave no acceptable alternative.