できかねる

Meanings

1

ichidan verb

be unable to do; find it difficult to do

usually written using kana alone

Expresses inability or strong reluctance to do something, often with a nuance of 'I cannot bring myself to do it' or 'it is not possible for me to do it'. Used in polite refusals or statements of incapacity.

Written forms

出で来きかねる
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling. It is usually written in kana.
出で来き兼かねる
Alternate kanji spelling using 兼ねる. Less common than 出来かねる.

Kanji

出exit, leave, go out
来come, due, next
兼concurrently, and, beforehand

Similar words

できない
できない is a plain statement of inability, while できかねる adds a nuance of polite reluctance or finding something difficult to do, often used in formal refusals.
かねる
かねる is the auxiliary verb meaning 'to be unable to' or 'to find it difficult to'. できかねる is the combination of できる (to be able to do) and かねる, emphasizing the difficulty or impossibility.

Etymology

Compound of できる (to be able to do) and かねる (auxiliary verb expressing difficulty or inability). The combination reinforces the sense of being unable or finding it hard to do something.