歯が立たない · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 歯が立たない | 歯が立たなくない |
| Polite | 歯が立たないです | 歯が立たなくないですalso 歯が立たなくありません |
| Past polite | 歯が立たなかったです | 歯が立たなくなかったですalso 歯が立たなくありませんでした |
| Past | 歯が立たなかった | 歯が立たなくなかった |
| Te-form | 歯が立たなくて | 歯が立たなくなくて |
| Adverbial | 歯が立たなく | |
| Conditional | 歯が立たなければ | 歯が立たなくなければ |
| Tara conditional | 歯が立たなかったら | 歯が立たなくなかったら |
unable to compete with; no match for; can't make a dent in
Used when someone or something is overwhelmingly superior, or a problem is too tough to handle. Often appears as 〜には歯が立たない.
I'm no match for his English ability.
I can't make a dent in this difficult problem.
hard to chew; tough
Literal meaning referring to food that is too tough to bite through. Less common than the figurative sense.
This steak is so tough I can't chew it.