ないものでもない
🃏 Flashcard
ないものでもない
nai mono demo nai
Tap to reveal usage
is not entirely impossible
N1
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N1
Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms
Reading
nai mono demo nai
Post ID
51279
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
is not entirely impossible
📖 How to use it
Expresses that something is not entirely impossible, often with a sense of reservation or understated possibility.
Attaches to
Attach to the negative form (ない-form) of a verb or adjective. For example, できない (cannot do) becomes できないものでもない. For な-adjectives, use ではないものでもない, but this is rare.
This pattern is a double negative that softens a statement. It suggests that while something may seem difficult or unlikely, it is not completely impossible. It often implies a condition or a slight concession, and is used when the speaker wants to avoid a flat 'no' or 'impossible'.
It is formed by taking the negative form of a verb (e.g., できない) and adding ものでもない, resulting in できないものでもない. Similarly, for い-adjectives, you can use the negative form, e.g., 高くないものでもない, though this is less common. For nouns and な-adjectives, use ではないものでもない, but this is rare.
努力すれば、できないものでもない。
Doryoku sureba, dekinai mono demo nai.
If you make an effort, it's not entirely impossible.
彼の提案は、考えようによっては受け入れられないものでもない。
Kare no teian wa, kangaeyou ni yotte wa ukeirerarenai mono demo nai.
His proposal is not entirely unacceptable, depending on how you think about it.
一人でやるのは大変だが、できないものでもない。
Hitori de yaru no wa taihen da ga, dekinai mono demo nai.
Doing it alone is tough, but it's not entirely impossible.
Not ないこともない
Both mean 'not entirely impossible', but ないものでもない is stronger and often implies a condition or concession. ないこともない is more neutral and just says 'it's not that it doesn't happen/exist'. For example, 行かないものでもない suggests 'I might go if pushed', while 行かないこともない is just 'it's not that I never go'.
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This is a formal, written expression, typical of N1 reading passages and polite speech. It is rarely used in casual conversation.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
ないものでもない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat ないものでもない three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using ないものでもない. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N1 Patterns
← Previous
ないまでも
not to say; does not reach the level of~
Next →
ないものか /ないものだろうか
isn't there; can’t we…?; can’t I…?
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern ないものでもない mean?
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Is not entirely impossible
What JLPT level is ないものでもない?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use ないものでもない in a sentence?
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Attach ないものでもない (nai mono demo nai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is ないものでもない formal or casual Japanese?
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ないものでもない is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember ないものでもない long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.