を禁じ得ない
🃏 Flashcard
を禁じ得ない
o kinji enai
Tap to reveal usage
can’t help but; can’t refrain from ~
N1
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📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N1
Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms
Reading
o kinji enai
Post ID
51341
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
can’t help but; can’t refrain from ~
📖 How to use it
Expresses that one cannot help but feel or do something, often an emotional reaction one cannot suppress.
Attaches to
Attach to a noun (often a する-verb's noun form, like 感動, 驚き) followed by を禁じ得ない. The noun is the direct object of 禁じる.
This pattern is used to say that you cannot stop yourself from feeling a certain emotion or having a reaction, even if you try. It often appears in written or formal speech, such as news reports, essays, or literary works. The emotion is typically something like admiration, surprise, anger, or tears.
彼の勇気には感動を禁じ得ない。
Kare no yūki ni wa kandō o kinji enai.
I can't help but be moved by his courage.
その知らせを聞いて、驚きを禁じ得なかった。
Sono shirase o kiite, odoroki o kinji enakatta.
Upon hearing the news, I couldn't help but be surprised.
彼女の話に涙を禁じ得なかった。
Kanojo no hanashi ni namida o kinji enakatta.
I couldn't hold back tears at her story.
Not 〜ずにはいられない
〜ずにはいられない attaches to the negative stem of a verb (e.g., 泣かずにはいられない) and describes a strong urge from the speaker. 〜を禁じ得ない is more formal and typically used with nouns for emotions, often in third-person or objective narration.
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This pattern is literary and formal; in everyday conversation, you would more likely use 〜ずにはいられない or phrases like 〜せずにはいられない.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
を禁じ得ない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat を禁じ得ない 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 を禁じ得ない. 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
を機に
as an opportunity/chance to ~
Next →
をものともせずに
in defiance; not losing to/worrying about ~
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern を禁じ得ない mean?
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Can’t help but; can’t refrain from ~
What JLPT level is を禁じ得ない?
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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 を禁じ得ない in a sentence?
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Attach を禁じ得ない (o kinji enai) 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 を禁じ得ない formal or casual Japanese?
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を禁じ得ない 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 を禁じ得ない 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.