ようにも〜ない

Even if One Tried

Level 3Sounds Like younimo~nai

The pattern ようにも〜ない describes a situation where a person has the strong desire or intention to act, but external circumstances or physical obstacles make it impossible. It translates to 'even if I wanted to [Verb], I can't' or 'cannot [Verb] even if I try.'

How It Works

1. Structure and Formation
The pattern follows a specific morphological structure:

  • [Verb Volitional Form] + にも + [Same Verb Potential Negative Form]

For example:

  • 行く（いく）→ 行こう（いこう）+ にも + 行けない（いけない）
  • 食べる（たべる）→ 食べよう（たべよう）+ にも + 食べられない（たべられない）

2. Nuance and Usage
Unlike a simple negative potential (e.g., 'I can't go'), this pattern highlights that the desire to go is present. It is often used when there is a clear physical or circumstantial barrier, such as missing a train, losing a key, or having a physical ailment.

3. Register
This is a formal and standard expression. It is frequently encountered in written Japanese, literature, and formal speech (like explaining a problem to a boss). It is a key pattern for advanced proficiency levels.

4. Variations
Sometimes, the second part of the sentence is not the potential negative of the same verb, but rather a phrase that explains the reason for the impossibility.
Example: 買おう（かおう）にもお金（おかね）がない (Even if I wanted to buy it, I have no money).

Examples (4)

  1. 終電を逃してしまい、家に帰ろうにも帰れない。

    I missed the last train, so I can't go home even if I wanted to.

    Word by Word: Last train (object) missed, home to return-volitional even-to return-cannot.

    The speaker wants to go home, but the lack of transportation (external circumstance) makes it impossible.

  2. 鍵を失くしてしまったので、部屋に入ろうにも入れない。

    I lost my key, so I can't enter the room even if I try.

    Word by Word: Key (object) lost because, room into enter-volitional even-to enter-cannot.

    The physical obstacle (missing key) prevents the intended action of entering.

  3. 喉が痛くて、声を出そうにも出せない。

    My throat hurts so much that I can't speak even if I try to.

    Word by Word: Throat (subject) hurts, voice (object) emit-volitional even-to emit-cannot.

    A physical condition (sore throat) is blocking the speaker's attempt to make a sound.

  4. 忙しすぎて、休もうにも休めない状況だ。

    I'm so busy that it's a situation where I can't rest even if I wanted to.

    Word by Word: Too busy, rest-volitional even-to rest-cannot situation is.

    The external pressure of work prevents the speaker from taking a break.

Common Mistakes

  • Using non-volitional verbs.

    雨が降ろうにも降らない。
    雨が降りそうにない。

    The verb must be something a person can 'intend' to do. Since you cannot 'intend' for it to rain, using the volitional form 'furou' here is incorrect.

  • Mixing different verbs in the pattern.

    行こうにも食べられない。
    行こうにも行けない。

    The pattern requires the same verb to be used in both the volitional and potential negative forms to maintain the logic of 'trying to do X but failing to do X'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ようにも〜ないLevel 3Even if One Tried

Learn This First

To understand 'ようにも〜ない', you first need to be comfortable with the volitional form (意向形) and the potential form (られる/える). The pattern literally translates to 'even if I try to [volitional], I cannot [potential negative]', so understanding how these two verb forms interact with the particle 'も' is essential.

Words in This Pattern