also: ならぬ · ならん · なりません
expression
cannot help feeling; unbearably; irresistibly
Used as てならない or with adjective-like continuative forms such as 心配でならない and 嬉しくてならない. It emphasizes that a feeling or sensation arises strongly and cannot be suppressed.
試験の結果が気になってならない。
I can't help worrying about the exam results.
彼女の成功が嬉しくてならない。
I am unbearably happy about her success.
expression
Used as てはならない to state prohibition. It is firmer and more rule-like than conversational てはいけない, and often appears in instructions, rules, principles, or formal writing.
ここで写真を撮ってはならない。
You must not take photos here.
他人の秘密を勝手に話してはならない。
You must not reveal someone else's secret without permission.
expression
Used in obligation patterns such as なくてはならない, なければならない, and the more literary ねばならない. It means that something is required or unavoidable.
明日までに申請書を出さなければならない。
I have to submit the application form by tomorrow.
約束は守らなくてはならない。
Promises must be kept.
expression
cannot; unable to
Limited modern use outside the major grammar patterns. It is most natural in fixed expressions such as 我慢ならない, meaning that one cannot bear, allow, or accept something.
これ以上の侮辱は我慢ならない。
I cannot tolerate any more insults.
expression
Dated use as ではならない meaning simple negation, roughly ではない. In modern Japanese, ではならない is usually interpreted differently, so this sense is mainly for reading older texts.
古い文章では、「狐ではならない」が「狐ではない」という意味で使われることがある。
In old writing, 狐ではならない can be used to mean 'it is not a fox.'