- arienai impossible; unthinkable, ridiculous, absurd
Used in casual conversation to express disbelief or that something is out of the question. It's a strong, emphatic way to say 'no way' or 'that's impossible'.
そんなことあり得ない！
Sonna koto arienai!
That's impossible!
彼が嘘をつくなんてあり得ない。
Kare ga uso o tsuku nante arienai.
It's unthinkable that he would lie.
⚖️ Commonly confused with 'fukanou' (不可能), but 'arienai' is more colloquial and emotional.
Press the microphone and say: あり得ない
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💡 Drop い to get the stem: add くない (negative), かった (past), くて (te-form).
Found in a wide range of contexts. Useful for building reading and listening fluency.
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