Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
ままならない Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
expression, i-adjective
not going as one wishes ; beyond one's control ; unable to do freely
usually written using kana alone
Expresses that things do not go the way one wants, often due to external circumstances or one's own limitations. The phrase is a set expression and is usually written in kana.
See also: ままならぬ
I'm so tired that my body won't do what I want.
Written forms 儘まま ならない
Rare kanji spelling using 儘; not commonly used in modern writing.
侭まま ならない
Rare kanji spelling using 侭; not commonly used in modern writing.
Similar words ままならぬ Classical/literary form of ままならない; same meaning but used in older or more formal writing.
思おも い 通どお りにならない More literal and less idiomatic; ままならない is a fixed expression with a stronger sense of things being uncontrollable.
Etymology From まま (condition, state) + ならない (negative of なる, 'to become'), literally 'does not become as one wishes'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used as a set phrase for centuries.
