かなわない · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | かなわない | かなわなくない |
| Polite | かなわないです | かなわなくないですalso かなわなくありません |
| Past polite | かなわなかったです | かなわなくなかったですalso かなわなくありませんでした |
| Past | かなわなかった | かなわなくなかった |
| Te-form | かなわなくて | かなわなくなくて |
| Adverbial | かなわなく | |
| Conditional | かなわなければ | かなわなくなければ |
| Tara conditional | かなわなかったら | かなわなくなかったら |
no match for; cannot compete with; powerless against
Expresses that someone or something is overwhelmingly superior, so you cannot rival or defeat them. Often used with には or に.
I'm no match for him.
I can't handle this heat.
cannot stand; unbearable; intolerable
Used after an adjective in the て form (〜てかなわない) to mean 'so ... that I can't stand it'. Expresses strong emotional or physical discomfort.
It's so hot I can't stand it.
It's unbearably noisy.
Dated usage meaning 'cannot do' or 'impossible'. Rare in modern Japanese; usually replaced by できない or other expressions.
In old language, かなわない meant 'cannot do'.
Nobody can match his skill.
It's so hot today that I can't stand it.
敵わない is a verb meaning 'to be no match for' in direct competition, whereas 顔負け is a noun expressing the embarrassment of being outclassed by comparison.