JLPT N1Spoken and writtenFed up

てはかなわないI can't have that; it's too much

Something unwelcome is going on, or you are afraid it will happen, and it would be more than you can take: "I can't have that".

毎まい日にちこう暑あつくてはかなわない。

I can't take heat like this every day.

こちらとしては、締しめ切きりを何なん度ども変かえられてはかなわない。

We can't have the deadline changed over and over.

How to form it

て-form + は + かなわない

暑あつくては, 変かえられては, 不ふ便べんでは. A verb is usually passive: something done to you. In conversation ては becomes ちゃ: 暑あつくちゃかなわない. Polite: かないません.

Before it: What you don't want, often with こう, こんなに, 毎まい日にち or 何なん度ども: heat, noise, a bill, something people keep doing to you.
After it: Often nothing. Or ので or から, and what you do about it.
Said about: Yourself, or your side: こちらとしては, "for our part".
Where you'll meet it: Conversation, novels, essays. Out loud it tends to be an older speaker's phrase; a younger one more often says …たら困こまる.

In use

来らい月げつも電でん気き代だいがこんなに高たかくてはかなわない。

I can't have the electricity bill this high again next month.

うちには小ちいさな子こどもがいるので、夜よる遅おそくまで隣となりで騒さわがれてはかなわない。

We have a small child, so we can't have people making noise next door late at night.

そんなことで文もん句くを言いわれちゃかなわないよ。

I can't have people complaining at me over a thing like that.

The は is an "if"

ては is the "if" that expects trouble: if that happens, or if it goes on. かなわない, "it's too much for me", is the trouble. So what you can't take may be going on already, or only feared.

大だい事じな試し験けんの前まえに風邪かぜをうつされてはかなわないので、マスクをして出でかけた。

I couldn't have anyone giving me a cold before an important exam, so I went out in a mask.

Nobody has given you a cold. You are heading it off.

Close neighbours

てかなわないN2

Without は there is no "if": a grumble about a nuisance you are stuck with now. It can't be about what hasn't happened yet.

隣となりの工こう事じがうるさくてかなわない。

The noise of the building work next door is more than I can put up with.

ては・ではN3

The same "if", with any kind of trouble after it.

こう暑あつくては、何なにもする気きになれない。

In heat like this, I can't bring myself to do anything.

Check yourself

1What is this person saying?

そう毎まい日にち来こられてはかなわない。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

途と中ちゅうで雨あめに（　　）かなわないから、傘かさを持もっていこう。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

利り用よう者しゃとしては、問とい合あわせのたびに一いち時じ間かんも待またされてはかなわない。

As a customer, I can't have it taking an hour's wait every time I ask a question.

私わたしたちは、雨あめのたびに倉そう庫こが浸しん水すいしてはかなわないので、排はい水すい設せつ備びを直なおすことにした。

We can't have the warehouse flooding every time it rains, so we decided to repair the drains.

この先さきも交こう通つうが不ふ便べんではかなわないので、事じ務む所しょの移い転てんを検けん討とうしている。

We can't go on with transport this inconvenient, so we are looking at moving the office.