N1 Emotion and Feeling

~に忍しのびない: meaning, usage and examples

~に忍しのびない means: cannot bear to... / ...is unbearable.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 子供こどもが泣ないているのを見みるに忍しのびない。

   I cannot bear to see a child crying.

2. 古ふるい手紙てがみだが、捨すてるに忍しのびない。

   It's an old letter, but I can't bear to throw it away.

3. 祖父そふが大切たいせつにしていた時計とけいなので、売うるに忍しのびない。

   It is a watch my grandfather treasured, so I cannot bring myself to sell it.

4. 事故じこで傷きずついた動物どうぶつの姿すがたは、見みるに忍しのびなかった。

   I could not bear to look at the animals injured in the accident.

When to use it

Says you cannot bring yourself to do something because it feels too sad, cruel or wasteful. Common with 見みる, 聞きく, 捨すてる, 手放てばなす, 断ことわる. Example: it is an old letter, but I cannot bring myself to throw it away.

Nuance

Formal or written, with sympathy or affection. It is about your own emotional resistance to an act. The everyday way is のは忍しのびない or とても〜できない. Joins only a small set of verbs.

Compare

に堪たえない is about how bad something is to watch or hear: 聞きくに堪たえない悪口わるぐち (insults too vile to hear). に忍しのびない is about pity or attachment: 聞きくに忍しのびない話はなし (a story too sad to hear). 堪たえない criticizes; 忍しのびない feels sorry.

Tip: Feel sorry or attached → 忍しのびない (捨すてるに忍しのびない). Feel disgusted or offended → 堪たえない (聞きくに堪たえない). The feeling decides the pattern.