must not; cannot afford to; must~ (わけにはいかない) – Japanese Grammar わけにはいかない (wake niwa ikanai)

Q: What JLPT level is わけにはいかない?

JLPT N3 — Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast

Q: How do you use わけにはいかない in a sentence?

Attach わけにはいかない to the appropriate verb or noun form. Must not; cannot afford to; must~

Q: Is わけにはいかない formal or casual Japanese?

わけにはいかない can be used in both casual conversation and polite speech depending on context.

わけにはいかない

N3 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

wake niwa ikanai

must not; cannot afford to; must~

ために tame ni すなわち sunawachi たとえ～ても tatoe~temo に反して ni hanshite 例えば tatoeba がち gachi そのために sono tame ni さえ～ば sae~ba てからでないと te kara de nai to をはじめ o hajime ような気がする you na ki ga suru たって tatte んだって ndatte わけではない wake dewa nai にかわって ni kawatte つまり tsumari まるで maru de 結局 kekkyoku てはいけないから te wa ikenai kara どうしても doushitemo ために tame ni すなわち sunawachi たとえ～ても tatoe~temo に反して ni hanshite 例えば tatoeba がち gachi そのために sono tame ni さえ～ば sae~ba てからでないと te kara de nai to をはじめ o hajime ような気がする you na ki ga suru たって tatte んだって ndatte わけではない wake dewa nai にかわって ni kawatte つまり tsumari まるで maru de 結局 kekkyoku てはいけないから te wa ikenai kara どうしても doushitemo

🃏 Flashcard

わけにはいかない

wake niwa ikanai

Tap to reveal usage

must not; cannot afford to; must~

Tap to test your recall · +10 XP

📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N3

Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast

Reading wake niwa ikanai

Post ID 50981

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

must not; cannot afford to; must~

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

わけにはいかない

📚 How to Master This Pattern

🔊

Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat わけにはいかない 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 わけにはいかない. 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 N3 Patterns

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わけがない

there is no way that~

割に

considering; relatively; unexpectedly

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern わけにはいかない mean? ▼

Must not; cannot afford to; must~

What JLPT level is わけにはいかない? ▼

JLPT N3 — Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast. To pass JLPT N3 you need to recognise and use this pattern correctly in reading and listening sections.

How do you use わけにはいかない in a sentence? ▼

Attach わけにはいかない (wake niwa ikanai) 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 わけにはいかない formal or casual Japanese? ▼

わけにはいかない is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.

How can I remember わけにはいかない long-term? ▼

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 at 10 minutes, 1 day and 3 days (spaced repetition). Writing two original sentences at each review session is the fastest way to reach production-level mastery.