N2 Possibility and Difficulty

~かねる: meaning, usage and examples

~かねる means: cannot... / hard to... (formal refusal).

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

Examples

1. その要求ようきゅうには応おうじかねます。

   I cannot comply with that request.

2. 詳くわしいことは言いいかねる。

   I'm unable to go into detail.

3. 個人こじん情報じょうほうに関かんするお問とい合あわせにはお答こたえしかねます。

   We are unable to answer inquiries about personal information.

4. その案あんには賛成さんせいしかねますが、もう少すこし検討けんとうさせてください。

   I can't quite agree with that plan, but please let me think it over a little more.

When to use it

A polite, indirect way to say "I cannot do this," used mostly in business and customer service. The speaker hints that they would like to help but the situation does not allow it. For example, その件けんにはお答こたえしかねます means "We are unable to answer that question." It also appears with verbs of judgment, like 賛成さんせいしかねる ("I can't quite agree").

Nuance

Formal and polite; it softens refusals. It describes the speaker's own difficulty, not another person's ability. It is not used for physical inability, like being unable to lift something heavy.

Compare

かねない is the opposite in sense: it means "might well (do something bad)": 事故じこを起おこしかねない. かねる means "cannot": お引ひき受うけしかねます. できません is direct and can sound blunt in business, so staff and companies prefer かねます when turning down a customer.

Tip: The ない makes the difference: かねる = cannot, かねない = may well. Customer-service phrases like 分わかりかねます are worth memorizing as a set.