かねないMay well (undesirable risk)
かねない warns that a concerning action or result could occur. It presents a real risk, not a certainty, and usually carries the speaker's negative or cautionary judgment.
Warning about a plausible consequence
Use this form when a present action, condition, or unchecked trend gives you grounds to warn about a bad outcome. The context should make the concern clear: the form does not merely mean that anything is possible, and it does not prove that the result will happen.
Judging what a person might do
With a person as the subject, the construction can mean that the person is capable of doing something objectionable, extreme, or surprising. This can sound accusatory, so use it only when that judgment is intended.
彼は追い詰められれば、仲間を裏切りかねない。
If cornered, he might even betray his associates.
AnalyzeThis is not a neutral guess about him; it expresses a distinctly negative judgment.
Possibility versus inability
The difference is especially clear with the same verb. In the first sentence, かねます expresses inability or reluctance. In the second, かねない warns about an objectionable possibility.
More examples
不用意な発言は、外交問題に発展しかねない。
A careless remark could develop into a diplomatic issue.
Analyze安全確認を怠れば、重大な事故を引き起こしかねない。
Failing to perform the safety checks could cause a serious accident.
Analyzeこの数字だけを見れば、読者は状況を誤解しかねない。
If readers see only these figures, they may misunderstand the situation.
Analyze過度な値下げは、ブランドへの信頼を損ないかねません。
Excessive price reductions could damage trust in the brand.
Analyze善意の助言でも、言い方次第では相手を傷つけかねない。
Even well-intended advice can hurt the other person, depending on how it is phrased.
Analyze対応が遅れれば、混乱が地域全体に広がりかねない。
If the response is delayed, the confusion could spread throughout the region.
Analyze