N2 Choice, Necessity, and Urges

~てならない: meaning, usage and examples

~てならない means: extremely... / can't help feeling...

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

Examples

1. 彼かれの将来しょうらいが心配しんぱいでならない。

   I'm extremely worried about his future.

2. あの人ひとの態度たいどが気きになってならない。

   I can't help being concerned about that person's attitude.

3. 故郷こきょうの母ははに会あいたくてならない。

   I miss my mother back home terribly.

4. 大事だいじな試合しあいに負まけて、悔くやしくてならない。

   I am terribly frustrated that we lost the important match.

When to use it

Use てならない for a strong feeling that rises naturally and that you cannot control, such as worry, sadness, missing someone or wanting something. It is used with words of emotion or sensation, as in 母ははに会あいたくてならない (I miss my mother terribly) or 将来しょうらいが心配しんぱいでならない.

Nuance

Somewhat written and literary, but also used in serious speech. It describes the speaker's own feelings; for other people add ようだ or らしい. It goes with emotion words (心配しんぱい, 悔くやしい, 気きになる, 思おもえる), not with ordinary adjectives like 高たかい or 大おおきい.

Compare

てたまらない means the same strong feeling but sounds more spoken and can describe physical states (暑あつくてたまらない). てしかたがない is the most casual. てならない suits feelings that arise naturally, such as 気きがしてならない or 思おもえてならない, which the others rarely take.

Tip: Remember the set phrase ～気きがしてならない (I just cannot shake the feeling that...). It appears often on the test.