N2 Assertion, Likelihood, and Norms

~かねない: meaning, usage and examples

~かねない means: might... / could possibly... (negative).

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

Examples

1. このまま放置ほうちすると、大事故だいじこになりかねない。

   If left as is, it could possibly lead to a major accident.

2. 毎日まいにちこんなに残業ざんぎょうしていたら、倒たおれかねない。

   If I keep working this much overtime every day, I could end up collapsing.

3. 睡眠すいみん不足ふそくのまま運転うんてんすると、事故じこを起おこしかねない。

   Driving without enough sleep could lead to an accident.

4. その言いい方かたでは、相手あいてに誤解ごかいされかねませんよ。

   If you put it that way, the other person could misunderstand you.

When to use it

Use かねない to say that a bad result could easily happen if a situation continues or if someone acts in a certain way. It often warns about a cause and its possible effect, as in 睡眠すいみん不足ふそくで運転うんてんすると、事故じこを起おこしかねない (driving without enough sleep could lead to an accident).

Nuance

Slightly formal; used in both speech and writing. Only for negative outcomes. It often contains a note of criticism or worry about someone's behavior. The positive form かねる means "cannot do" (お答こたえしかねます), which is a different pattern.

Compare

おそれがある is a neutral, objective warning used in news (台風たいふうのおそれがある). かねない adds criticism of a cause: そんな運転うんてんでは事故じこを起おこしかねない. かもしれない is a neutral guess that can describe good or bad outcomes alike: 合格ごうかくするかもしれない.

Tip: Shape is negative, meaning is positive: かねない = "could well happen". Do not read it as "will not happen".