「〜わけがない」- Impossible Situation

Explanation

In Japanese, 〜わけがない is a common expression used to indicate that something is impossible or cannot happen. This expression carries a subjective tone of negation, meaning "absolutely impossible."

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜わけがない	Plain form of verbs + 「わけがない」 Plain form of い-adjectives + 「わけがない」 Stem of な-adjectives + 「な/である + わけがない」 Nouns + 「な/である + わけがない」	Expresses "there is no reason for something to happen" or "absolutely impossible."

Basic Usage

〜わけがない is used to emphasize that something is absolutely impossible, reflecting the speaker's strong negative opinion.

Examples

• 彼かれがそんなことをするわけがない。
• Kare ga sonna koto o suru wake ga nai.
• There's no way he would do something like that.
  

• 英語えいごなんて分わかるわけがない。
• Eigo nante wakaru wake ga nai.
• There's no way I understand English.
  

• こんなにうるさい環境かんきょうで集中しゅうちゅうできるわけがない。
• Konna ni urusai kankyou de shuuchuu dekiru wake ga nai.
• It's impossible to concentrate in such a noisy environment.
  

Comparison and Differences

「〜わけがない」vs. 「〜わけではない」

〜わけではない indicates a partial negation, meaning "it's not that..." In contrast, 〜わけがない expresses complete negation.

Expression	Usage	Example	English Translation
〜わけがない	Complete negation	彼かれが成功せいこうするわけがない。	There's no way he will succeed.
〜わけではない	Partial negation	彼かれが成功せいこうしないわけではない。	It's not that he won't succeed.

Real-Life Scenarios

1. Conversation between friends:

   • A：あの試合しあい、勝かてると思おもう？
   • B：いや、相手あいてが強つよすぎて、勝かつわけがないよ。
   • A：Do you think we can win that match?
   • B：No way, the opponent is too strong. There's no chance we'll win.
     

2. Work scenario:

   • 上司じょうし：このプロジェクトぷろじぇくと、来週らいしゅうまでに終おわるか？
   • 部下ぶか：こんなにたくさんの仕事しごと、一週間いっしゅうかんで終おわるわけがないです。
   • Boss：Can this project be finished by next week?
   • Subordinate：There's no way we can finish this much work in a week.
     

Summary

〜わけがない is a strong negation pattern used to express impossibility, making it an important grammar point in both daily conversations and written Japanese. Mastering this expression helps convey negative opinions more accurately. Through comparative analysis and practical examples, its nuances and appropriate usage contexts become clear. Choosing the right expression based on the context will make your Japanese sound more natural and precise.