わけではない

わ

け

で

は

な

い

Common word

Meanings

1

expression

it is not that ...; it doesn't mean that ...

usually written using kana alone

Used to deny a possible interpretation or to clarify that something is not necessarily the case. Often follows a clause in plain form. It is usually written in kana.

Grammar

わけではない・というわけではないNot necessarily; it is not thatN3

Kanji

訳translate, reason, circumstance
無nothingness, none, ain't

Related words

とは限かぎらない
わけではない also softens a statement to mean 'it doesn't mean that...', but とは限らない specifically stresses that exceptions exist and nothing is guaranteed.

Politeness

わけじゃないplain
訳ではない is the more formal, written-style version of the same meaning, while 訳じゃない is the casual, spoken contraction.

Don't confuse with

わけがない
わけではない softly denies one interpretation ('it doesn't mean that...'), while わけがない strongly denies any possibility ('there's no way that...').

Written forms

訳わけではない
Kanji form; commonly used in formal writing.
訳わけでは無ない
Kanji form with 無い; less common but seen in some contexts.
わけでは無ない
Mixed kana-kanji form; rarely used.

Etymology

From 訳 (わけ, 'reason, meaning') + ではない (negative form of だ). Literally 'it is not the reason/meaning that...', used to deny an inference.