わけではない & わけがない ( = Wake dewa nai & Wake ga nai )

「もう一週間も彼から連絡がないの。」

= Mou ishuukan mo kare kara rennraku ga nai no.

= He hasn’t contacted me for over a week now!

「まだふられたわけではないじゃない。」

= Mada furareta wake dewa nai janai .

= But that doesn’t mean you’ve been dumped yet.

みなさん、こんにちは!

= Minasan konnichiwa! 

= Hello everyone! 

 

Someone on Twitter  asked me how to use わけではない  ( = wake dewa nai)

Let’s get started!

The kanji for わけ  ( = wake) is . It means reason(s) /judgment from what you read/heard. /meaning/case

So the literal meaning of  わけではない  ( = wake dewa nai) is

 “It is not the reason (why)” / “It’s not the case” / “It doesn’t mean.”

but we use it when we want to say

It doesn’t mean that., It’s not like 〜., It’s not the case that 〜., I don’t mean that〜., That is not why 〜., That is not the reason 〜., It is not really 〜., not to do much〜., not necessarily, not altogether 〜., not particularly 〜.

 

I know I know…there are many meanings. :) We’ll look at the usages one at a time.

⭐️ How to form :

★verb  + わけではない   ( = wake de wa nai)

食べるわけではない

= Taberu wake dewa nai

= Not really eating / not to do much eating

飲むわけではない

= Nomu wake dewa nai

= not really drinking / not to do much drinking

★na-adjective + な  ( = na) + わけではない  ( = wake de wa nai)

正直なわけではない

= Shoujikina wake dewa nai

= not necessarily honest/ not altogether honest

静かなわけではない

= Shizukana wake dewa nai

= It is not that quiet / I wouldn’t say it’s that quiet

★i-adjective + わけではない  ( = wake de wa nai)

 

おいしいわけではない

= Oishii wake dewa nai

= It is not that delicious

noun + というわけではない ( = to iu wake dewa nai)

 

美人というわけではない

= bijin toiu wake dewa nai

= (She) is not particularly beautiful

📝 Note : You can also add という  ( = toiu) / っていう ( = tteiu)  (→more casual) after an adjective.

:rrrr: おいしいという/っていうわけではない

= Oishii to iu /tteiu wake dewa nai

= It is not so delicious

:rrrr: na-adjective + だ  ( = da)

 

:rrrr: 正直だという/っていうわけではない

 

=Shoujikida to iu/ tteiu wake dewa nai

= not necessarily honest

 

:rrrr:静かだという/っていうわけではない

 

= Shizukada toiu/ tteiu wake dewa nai

= It is not that quiet/ I wouldn’t say it’s that quiet

If you want to learn more about という ( = toiu) go check    〜という(= toiu) & ということ(=toiukoto) lesson!

📝 Note : The formal form of わけではない  ( = wake dewa nai) are

:rrrr: わけではないです。 ( = wake dewa nai desu.)

or

:rrrr: わけではありません  ( = wake dewa arimasen.)

📝 Note : The casual form of  わけではない   ( = wake dewa nai) is

:rrrr: わけじゃ(あ)ない(です)  ( = wakeja(a) nai (desu).)

or

わけじゃ(あ)ありません   ( = wakeja(a) arimasen)

じゃ(あ) ( = ja(a)) is a casual contraction of  では  ( = dewa)

(If you want to learn more, go check りゃあじゃあ ( = ryaa& jaa) lesson! )

 

 

🔸 Now let’s find out how and when to use these expressions :

We use わけではない ( = wakede wa nai) when we deny something “partially” but not “totally”.

🔸1) It is not always true that 〜. / not altogether 〜. :

Ex. 先生がみんなすべての答えを知っているわけではない

= Sensei ga minna subete no kotae wo shitteiru wake dewa nai.

= Teachers don’t necessarily know all the answers./ It is not always true that all the teachers know the answers.

↓ (more formal)

〜 わけではないです。/ 〜 わけではありません。

= 〜 wake dewa nai desu. / 〜 wake de wa arimasen.

(You might think all the teachers know the answers to everything, but it is not true.)

Ex. マギーはいつも寝ているわけではない

= Maggie wa itsumo nete iru wake dewa nai.

= Maggie is not always sleeping.

(You might think I am always sleeping but) it is not true.

↓ (more formal)

マギーはいつも寝ているわけではないです。/ わけではありません。

= Maggie wa itsumo nete iru wakewake dewa nai desu / wake dewa arimasen

(more casual)

マギーはいつも寝ているわけじゃ(あ)ない(です)。/ わけじゃ(あ)ありません。

= Maggie wa itsumo nete iru wake ja(a)nai (desu). / wakeja(a) arimasen.

Ex. 高い料理がすべて美味しい(という)わけではない

= Takai ryouri ga subete oishii (toiu) wake dewa nai

= All expensive dishes are not altogether delicious.

(You might think all the expensive food are delicious but) it is not true.

(more formal)

高い料理がすべて美味しい(というわけではないです。/ わけではありません。

= Takai ryouri ga subete oishii (toiu) wake dewa naidesu / wake dewa arimasen

(more casual)

高い料理がすべて美味しい(という)わけじゃ(あ)ない(です)/ わけじゃ(あ)ありません。

= Takai ryouri ga subete oishii (toiu) wakeja(a) nai (desu) / wake ja(a) arimasen.

🔸  2) When you deny some expected reason subtly.

It is not because of that,

Ex. 「日本語もうあきらめたの?」

= Nihongo mou akirameta no?

= Have you given up Japanese already?

:rrrr: 「そういうわけじゃないよ。」(male speech)

= Souiu wake ja nai yo.

= That is not the case./ That’s not true.

:rrrr: 「そういうわけじゃないの。」(female speech)

= Souiu wake ja nai no.

= That is not the case./ That’s not true.

 

Ex. 彼があの人と別れてしまったのはマギーが悪いわけではないから心配しないで!

= Kare ga anohito to wakarete shimatta nowa Maggie ga warui wake dewa nai kara shinpai shinai de!

= He didn’t break up with that person because of you, Maggie. So don’t worry about it.

🔸3) When you want to explain a reason subtly: It is not like~

Ex.彼を容姿だけで選んだわけではない

= Kare wo youshi dake de eranda wake dewa nai.

It is not like I chose him for his appearance.

Ex. マギーのことが嫌いになったわけではないよ

= Maggie no koto ga kirai ni natta wake dewa nai yo.

= It is not like I came to dislike you, Maggie.

:rrrr: :maggie-small: Maggie’s note:

Ugh! This is a cliché line that I often get. It’s a perfect phrase (but a lame excuse) used to break up with people.

!star! Let’s compare the following two sentences:

1) は Bではない

=A wa B dewa nai

and

2) は Bというわけではない

= A wa B toiu wake de wa nai

While 1) means “A is not B” 2) means “A is not necessarily B.”/”I wouldn’t say A is totally B” and it doesn’t deny anything completely.

Therefore it sounds more subtle or vague.

 

Ex. 結婚するなら絶対にお金持ちというわけではない

= Kekkon suru nara zettai ni okanemochi toiu wake dewa nai

= It is not necessarily true that I would only marry a rich man.

Ex. 彼はチャラ男というわけではないが言うことに重みがない。

= Kare wa charao to iu wake dewa nai ga iu koto ni omomi ga nai.

= I wouldn’t say he is that shallow (superficial) but his words lack substance.

Ex. 日本語能力試験1級に受かるのは不可能というわけではないがかなり勉強しないと難しい。

= Nihongo nouryoku shiken ikyuu ni ukaru nowa fukanou toiu wake dewa nai ga kanari benkyou shinai to muzukashii.

= I wouldn’t say passing JLTP 1st grade is impossible, but it is pretty difficult if you don’t study hard.

Ex. そんなに複雑なわけではないがやたら時間がかかる。

= Sonnani fukuzatsu na wake dewa nai ga yatara jikan ga kakaru.

= It is not complicated, but it takes a lot of time.

Ex. あの二人は仲が悪いというわけではないがよく言い争いをしている。

= Ano futari wa naka ga warui toiu wake dewa nai ga yoku iiarasoi wo shiteiru.

= It is not that (I wouldn’t say) they ( those two) don’t get along but they often argue.

Ex. 彼女はそんなにきれいというわけではないがすごくモテる。

= Kanojo wa sonnani kirei toiu wake dewa nai ga sugoku moteru.

= It is not that (I wouldn’t say) she is that pretty but she is very popular among boys.

 

********

「そうよね、この私がふられるわけがないわ!」

= Souyone. Kono watashi ga furareru wake ga nai wa!

= That’s right. There is NO WAY that he could dump a girl like ME!

 

Now, some of you are ready to write this question in the comment section.

!to right! Q .マギー先生、 I also heard わけがない ( = wake ga nai).  Are they different?

Yes, わけではない  ( = wake dewa nai) and わけがない ( = wake ga nai) are different.

 

 

わけがない(= wake ga nai) is used when you totally deny something.

 

It means There is NO WAY that 〜, it is impossible that 〜, can’t be

Some of you might know the title of a very popular comic book (animation) called,

🔸僕の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない

= Boku no imouto ga konnani kawaii wake ga nai

= My little sister can’t be this cute.

It is similar to はずがない = hazu ga nai) and most of the time interchangeable.

!to right! (If you want to learn more about  はず (  = hazu) go check   this lesson.)

We also say わけない(= wake wa nai) instead of わけない ( = wake ga nai) They mean the same but we use わけない  ( = wake ga nai) more often.

Ex. そんなわけない = そんなわけない

= Sonna wake wa nai = Sonna wake ga nai

= That can’t be true! = That can’t be true!

🔸 How to form:

verb + わけがない ( = wakega nai)

Ex.出来るわけがない

= dekiru wake ga nai

= It is impossible for someone to do / There is no way that someone can do

:rrrr: こんな難しいこと、私に出来るわけがない

= Konna muzukashii koto watashi ni dekiruwake ganai.

= There is no way for me to do such a difficult thing.

 

★i-adjective + わけがない ( = wakega nai)

Ex. おいしいわけがない

= Oishii wake ga nai

= There is no way  〜 is delicious

:rrrr: 塩も入れていない料理なんておいしいわけがない

= Shio mo irete inai ryouri nante oishii wake ga nai.

=Food without even salt can’t be delicious.

★na-adjective + な ( = na) + わけがない ( = wakega nai)

Ex.静かなわけがない

= Shizukana wake ga nai

= There is no way to be quiet.

:rrrr: 町中のホテルの部屋など静かなわけがない

= Machinaka no hoteru no heya nado shizukana wake ga nai.

= The hotel rooms in the middle of town can’t be quiet.

★noun + である ( = dearu)/ ( = no)+ わけがない ( = wakega nai)

Ex. 本物の宝石であるわけがない。・本物の宝石のわけがない

= Honmono no houseki de aru wake ga nai / Honmono no houseki no wake ga nai.

= It can’t be a real/genuine jewel.

 

Sometimes we add という ( = toiu) or っていう( = tteiu) (→more casual)  before わけがない ( = wake ga nai)

困るわけがない ( = komaru wake ga nai)

:rrrr: Ex. 困るというわけがない

= Komaru toiu wake ga nai.

:rrrr:Ex. 困るっていうわけがない

= Komaru tte iu wake ga nai

📝Note : The formal form of わけがない ( =wake ga nai) is

:rrrr: わけがないです ( = wake ga nai desu)

or

:rrrr: わけがありません ( = wake ga arimasen.)

Ex. 子供相手のサッカーで負けるわけがない

= Kodomo aite no sakka de makeru wake ga nai.

= There is no way we can lose a soccer game to children.

Ex. 勉強も全然しないで試験に受かるわけがない

= Benkou mo zenzen shinai de shiken ni ukaru wake ga nai.

= There is no way you can pass an exam without studying at all.

Ex. 犬のくせに日本語が教えられるわけがない。

= Inu no kuse ni nihongo ga oshierareru wake ga nai.

= It is impossible for a dog to teach Japanese.

Ex. あなたの様なかわいい子がふられるわけがない

= Anata no you na kawaii ko ga furareru wake ga nai.

= There is no way a cute girl like you can get dumped.

Ex. あんなに仲のいい二人が離婚するわけがない

= Annani naka no ii futari ga rikon suru wake ga nai.

= It is unthinkable that those two would get divorced.  They are so close to each other.

Ex. マギーが人を裏切るわけがない

= Maggie ga hito wo uragiru wake ga nai.

= There is no way that Maggie would betray anyone.

Ex. あの川の水を飲んでも安全なわけがない

= Ano kawa no mizu wo nondemo anzenna wake ga nai.

= How could it be safe to drink the water from that river?

Ex. あんなかっこいい人がマギーの彼であるわけがない

= Anna kakkoii hito ga Maggie no kare de aru wake ga nai.

= It is impossible for Maggie to have a boyfriend that is cool.

Ex. 私がピアノを弾くのが上手なわけがない

= Watashi ga piano wo hiku no ga jouzuna wake ga nai.

= There is no way I could play the piano well.

Ex. 彼が本当は優しい人なんていうわけがない

= Kare ga hontou wa yasashii hito nante iu wake ga nai.

= There is no way that he is actually a nice person.

noun + なんていう (= nanteiu) : emphasizing )

We often skip the particle in conversation

わけがない ( = wake ga nai)→わけない( = wakenai)

Ex. 怖いわけ(が)ない

= Kowai wake (ga)nai

= Can’t be scary / There is no way that (subject) is scared

Ex. 簡単なわけ(が)ない

= Kantanna wake (ga) nai

= It can’t be easy

Ex. 無視するわけ(が)ない

= Mushi suru wake (ga) nai

= There is no way that (subject) ignored/ I will ignore

Ex. 負けるわけ(が)ない

= Makeru wake (ga) nai

= There is no way to lose

You can use it when you strongly talk back.

Ex.「こんな難しい問題、解けるわけ(が)ないだろ!」(male speech)

= Konna muzukashii mondai tokeru wake (ga)  nai daro!

= There is no way to solve this difficult problem.

Ex.「そんなこと私が 知るわけ(が)ないじゃない!」(female speech)

= Sonna koto watashi ga shiru wake (ga) nai janai!

= How would I know such a thing!

Ex.「今日、暇?」

= Kyou hima?

= Are you free today?

「暇なわけ(が)ないでしょ!」

= Himana wake (ga) nai desho!

= Are you kidding me? (Of course, I am not!)

「これいる?」

= Kore iru?

= Do you want this?

「いるわけ(が)ないだろ!」(male speech)

= Iru wake (ga) nai daro!

= Why would I want that? / No way!

 

「私のこと嫌い?」

= Watashi no koto kirai?

= You don’t like me?

「嫌いなわけ(が)ないだろ!」(male speech)

= Kiraina wake (ga) nai daro!

= Of course not! / Of course, I like you! (There is no way to dislike you!)

📝Note : In colloquial Japanese, we say わきゃない ( = wakyanai) instead of saying わけがない( = wake ga nai) or わけはない ( = wake wa nai)

Ex. 「あれ?マギー先生、今からデート? なわきゃないな…」

=Are? Maggie Sensei imakara deito? Na wakyanai na…

= Oh, Are you going out on a date now, Maggie Sensei? No way….(That is impossible) )

:rrrr: わきゃない ( = na wakyanai)  is a casual way to say そんなわけ(が)ない( = sonna wake (ga) nai )

Actually, there are more idioms using = わけ (= wake) such as 訳にはいかない  ( = wake niwa ikanai) but we’ll have to study those some other time…

 

マギー先生より = Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei

長い間、レッスンを作らなかったのは怠けていたわけではありません

= Nagai aida ressun wo tsukuranakatta no wa namakete ita wake dewa arimasen.

= The reason why I haven’t made a lesson in such a long time is not because I am lazy.

 

私が怠けるわけがありませんよね!

= Watashi ga namakeru wake ga arimasen yone!

= You don’t think I am lazy, right? (There is no way I am lazy)

あれ?= Are? = Ooops! 😅

***

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146 Comments

  1. I’m confused to this sentence translation.
    ” 結婚するなら絶対にお金持ちというわけではない。
    It is not necessarily true that I would only marry a rich man. ” I get it as “It is not needed to be rich when getting married” . How about this 僕は絶対にお金持ちと結婚するとういわけではない。

  2. Hajimemashite, Maggie-sensei. I’m Henry. Perhaps, this issue has been addressed here but I’ve been unable to find an answer yet.

    I’ve recently come across another example of how wakenai is used and I’m a little confused, because, apparently, it can also mean “it’s really easy” as in フランス語を話す彼にとってわけないことだ。

    The question is: how to differentiate between the two meanings? Could, for example, “試験に合格するわけないだろう” mean “There’s no way I’ll pass the exam” or “Of course, I will pass the exam (it’s super easy)”. If so, how to tell which meaning is implied here? Is it the intonation or something else that helps to differentiate those two meanings?

    Thank you in advance!

    1. Hi Henry

      Hajimemashite!
      OK, わけない(訳無い) is an expression which means “easy” and different from わけがない
      Nは、わけない・わけないことだ・です = ~ is easy
      Vするのはわけない・わけないことだ ・です= Doing something is easy

  3. Hello Maggie Sensei,
    can you let me know who わけではない refers to in the follows sentence?

    医者や学校の先生のように評論家になるための資格試験があるわけではない。

    医者 or 学校 or 評論家 , or all of them?
    How am I able to tell?

    Thank you

    1. Hi Mark,
      I am sure you do this but when you read a long sentence, find the main verb and subject and put ( ) the rest.
      The only word which has が is 資格試験 so the subject is 資格試験 and the main verb is あるわけではない
      (医者や学校の先生のように評論家になるための) 資格試験があるわけではない。

      ( ) part explains what kind of exam it is.

      1. Hello Maggie Sensei,
        thank you for your answer. Yes I know about the main verb and subject.
        But someone said that the rest in brackets () = (医者や学校の先生のように評論家

        do not go with the main verb あるわけではない.
        They said that (医者や学校の先生( do NOT go with the main verb, meaning they NEED a test, and the 評論家 does not need a test/

        So my question is do all 3 of them do not need a test in this sentence, or does the Critic only does not need a test? This was my question originally, how can I tell from what’s in the brackets ()?

        1. So only doctor and school teachers need a test but not critic.
          医者や学校の先生になるためには資格試験があります。
          でも、評論家になるにはそんな資格試験はありません。
          to be a doctor or school teacher you need qualification test.
          But to be a critic, there is no qualification test.

          So it denies “医者や学校の先生のように資格試験がある” →わけではない

      2. Hello Maggies Sensei,
        I think my problem is not understanding the right meaning of のように
        I thought it meant:
        Like a doctor and teacher you do not need an exam for a critic. ( All 3 do not need exams ) But this is wrong right?

        Is this correct meaning of のように:

        There are no qualification exams to become a critic “LIKE” doctors and school teachers.

        Is this correct?
        I always thought のように means exactly the same, or in the same way/

        1. Is this correct meaning of のように:

          There are no qualification exams to become a critic “LIKE” doctors and school teachers.
          Right.

          医者や学校の先生のように評論家になるための資格試験がある
          There is a test to become a critic just like a doctor and teacher.
          By adding わけではない, you can negate this sentence.
          It is not that ~

          1. Thank you Maggie Sensei,

            “There is a test to become a critic just like a doctor and teacher.”

            By adding わけではない, you can negate this sentence.

            “There is NO test to become a critic LIKE there is for a doctor and teacher.”

            I was stuck on this problem for 1 week,
            now I finally understand it

            Thanks!

  4. Do you think the word ‘case’ is perhaps the closest translation for わけ?
    In my mind it suits most uses…

    Tomato ga suki ja nai wake de wa nai.
    It is not the case that I don’t like tomatoes.

    Watashi ga umaku utaeru wake ga nai.
    The case that I could sing profficiently doesn’t existe. (There’s no way).

    Tomato ga kirai na wake.
    The case why I dislike tomatoes.
    (The reason why…)

    Does it work?

  5. この授業をくれてありがとうございます!今中級へ行こうと呼ばれている本によって勉強しているんですがこの’わけでわない’の説明は特に下手です!明日試験があるので助けてくれてありがとうございます!前に英語に翻訳したらはっきり出来ないと思いましたが今分かるようなりました!ありがとうございます!何回もこのサイトを使ったことがあっていつも説明は上手だしたくさん例もくれるし。。今私のクラスメートに紹介しに行きます!

      1. Hello Maggie sensei,
        Thank you so much! Your explanations are detailed and easy to understand.
        By the way, is there any difference between 2 sentence:
        # 食べるわけがない。
        #食べられるわけがない。
        I would be so so grateful if you could help me!
        Thank you so much !!!!

        1. Hi, Thaoha,
          食べるわけがない。
          There is no way that someone will eat ~
          食べられるわけがない。
          There is no way that I/We/You can eat / There is no way that something is edible.

          1. Hi Maggie sensei,
            私は この文法の意味はちょっと間違いました.だから 二つ文章の意味は同じだと思います。先生が教えてくれて、分かりました。
            先生のおかげで、文法が詳しく理解しています。
            本当にありがとございますた。

          2. Hi Thaoha,

            「わけではない」と「わけがない」はみなさん、わからなくなるみたいですね。
            このレッスンで少しでも違いがわかるようになってくれたらうれしいです!

  6. Hello Maggie sensei,

    Can I use わけがない with すべて like

    Somebody tells me
    あの人はすべての答えがわかる。

    And if I want to strongly deny this statement by
    There is no way that that person knows all the answers
    = あの人はすべての答えがわかるわけがない

    I know that we can use わけではない
    あの人はすべての答えがわかるわけではない

    But is itcorret for わげがない also?

    Thanks Maggie sensei :)

    1. Hello 💗
      あの人はすべての答えがわかるわけがない
      I would change a little.
      あの人にすべての答えがわかるわけがない。

  7. Hello Maggie sensei,

    元気ですか?お久しぶり過ぎすぎです:)

    Recently, I am so busy with my job, and that makes me a lazy student of Maggie sensei, ごめんね。

    I have a question regarding わけではない.
    Can I use わけではない with たびに, like

    かせを引くたびに彼に世話をされるわけではない。
    It’s not that every time I get cold, I will be taken care by him.

    Thanks Maggie sensei.
    And from now, I will be good student again :)

    1. こんにちは、お久しぶりです。元気でしたか?

      Yes, you can use たびに with わけではない
      かせを引くたびに彼に世話をされるわけではない。
      → かせ→かぜ
      The last part will be more natural 彼に世話をしてもらうわけではない or 彼が世話をしてくれるわけではない than using passive form される

      You are always a nice student! :)

      1. Thank you Maggie sensei. You are so nice !

        By the way, could I ask more about たびに here !

        My book teaches me that as for A たびにB, neither A nor B express the state. It makes me confused a lot. I think only Maggie sensei can help me.

        My question is is it true that neither A nor B can not express the state. Since I see the following sentence is also OK while B is expressing a state.

        この本を読むたびに新しい発見がある。
        B = ~ がある。And I think it is a sign of state.

        I hope Maggie sensei will teach us about たびに someday !

        Thanks Maggie sensei

        1. Hello again,

          Your book is right.
          新しい発見がある is actually not a state. Since it uses the verb ある, it might look confusing but
          Every time I read books, I discover something new.

          I will make a lesson for you sometime. Please wait. :)

          1. Hello Maggie sensei,

            ありがとうございます。

            So I’d like to confirm my understanding about Aたびに、B

            Since A and B is not allowed to be a state, then

            (1)友達の活躍を聞くたびにうれしい。Will be incorrect because うれしい is a state.

            But
            (2) 友達の活躍を聞くたびにうれしく思う。Will be OK

            If something wrong, please teach me again. And thank you so much Maggie sensei !!!

          2. Good, I was going to tell you about expressing the feeling part.
            You are right. 1) is not right but 2) is right. You can also say うれしくなる become happy (It is sort of the state with you can say that with the verb 思う/なる )

  8. Hi! Maggie sensei ✨
    I found your explanation really easy to understand! But I have a question: when it comes to nouns the way they are used was different, so then when I use わけではない I can only put noun+という+わけではない but with わけがない you could also use noun+である/の+わけがないbit not with わけではない ?

    1. Hi Camila

      OK, for example
      Ex. 1 彼女が美人というわけではない
      = (She) is not particularly beautiful

      Let’s change のわけがない
      Ex. 2 彼女が美人のわけがない

      Ex. 1) denying the possibility partially (not everything) “not particularly/especially beautiful”
      Ex. 2) means “There is NO WAY that she is beautiful. She is far from beautiful.” It negates completely.

  9. Hello Maggie sensei,

    If sbd asks me this question
    「日本語もうあきらめたの?」

    Then I think I can answer in the following ways:
    (1) あきらめないよ!
    (2)あきらめるわけではない
    (3)あきらめるわけがない

    All of the above sentences deny the thing that I quit learning.
    But is it the level of denying is strongest in (3), is normal in (1) and is slight in (2) .

    Thanks Maggie sensei :)

    1. As always you have a good question.

      (1) I am not going to give up.
      (2) It is not that I will give up./I’m not saying I will give up.
      (3) There is no way that I will give up.

      (3) expresses stronger will than (1)
      (2) is more explanatory and a little different from (1) and (2).

  10. Hello Maggie sensei,

    Thank you for the great lesson as always !
    I understand the wakedehanai and wakeganai now.

    By the way, is there any difference between わけではない&わけがない sensei?

    1. Sorry Maggie sensei,
      I’m making a typo in my question (because too tired :(
      I would like to correct my question.

      ———

      Hello Maggie sensei,

      Thank you for the great lesson as always !
      I understand the wakedehanai and wakeganai now.

      By the way, is there any difference between わけではない&とは限らない sensei?

      1. Hello again,

        わけではない & とは限らない are very similar and they can be interchangeable

        高い料理がすべて美味しい(という)わけではない
        = 高い料理がすべて美味しいとは限らない。

        You can’t use とは限らない in the usage 2) and 3)
        2) When you deny some expected reason subtly.
        ~マギーが悪いわけではない (It is denying it is not Maggie’s fault)
        3) When you want to explain a reason subtly : It is not like~
        Ex. マギーのことが嫌いになったわけではないよ。 (The speaker is denying it is not because he doesn’t like Maggie.)

        If you use とは限らない、it changes the nuance.

        マギーが悪いとは限らない (It is based on the idea that Maggie’s fault but it could be not true.)
        マギーのことが嫌いになったとは限らない (It is based on the idea that the person doesn’t like Maggie but it could be not true.)

        1. Maggie sensei is amazing !
          How can you be such like that ….

          どうもありがとうございました!

  11. Hi Maggie sensei,

    I really enjoy learning japanese, and very curious if I heard something new everytime a native speaker talk.
    Regarding this topic, sometimes I heard Japanese said:
    .〜わけと。
    for example: 『良い旨味が出てくるわけと。』
    can you explain what that person mean?

    1. Hi ade

      You sometimes leave a sentence unfinished on purpose.
      In this case, leaving a sentence with と
      (Finishing a sentence わけと is not that common but you sometimes leave a sentence with と.)
      So instead of saying 良い旨味が出てくるわけだ/です。 you say, 『良い旨味が出てくるわけと。』
      That is how you get good taste out of it.

      1. Hi Maggie!
        Long time no see, hope you are doing fine ^^
        In this case, what could be used after と? 思う maybe, or something different?

        1. Hi 天人!
          元気だった?
          As I mentioned, it is not that common to leave the sentence with わけと but yes, when you finish a sentence with ~と,
          思う / ということだ, etc. could be omitted.
          It depends on the context.

          Other examples of leaving the sentence with と

          Ex. さあ、もう寝よっと。(volitional form) expressing what you are going to do.
          Ex. (Giving some instructions) ここを押すと、こうなると..(いうことです。)
          Ex. (Confirming something) 明日からもう彼ははこないと..(いうことですか?/ と言っているのですか?)

  12. Hello Maggie Sensei,
    I always enjoy learning Japanese by reading your articles as I love dogs so much. Thank you for your hard work.

    I’m preparing for my N3 test and the textbook I bought said “訳がない“ and “っこない” share the same meaning. But when I did some exercises, I found they couldn’t be used interchangeably. Could you explain the differences in their usage? Thank you so much!!

    1. Hi Anpanman

      OK
      For example

      There is no way that I can do such a thing.
      そんなことできるわけない conversational そんなんことできっこない
      They mean the same.

      You often use っこない with verbs in potential form.
      And also while わけがない is used with adjectives or の+ noun , you can’t use っこない with adjective or の+ noun

      私の服が高いわけがない。 There is no way that my clothes are expensive.
      X You can’t use っこない。

      彼が兄のわけがない。There is no way that he is my big brother.
      X You can’t use っこない

      If I have time, I will make っこない lesson for you.

  13. はじめまして,マギー先生!
    アルトです。これからお世話になります。

    First of all, I’m big fan of your lessons! It’s been an immense help to me in my quest to learn Japanese.

    I’ve a question which I’m not sure is strictly related to this topic.
    Please consider the following sentence:
    熱心に祠に参っていたわけであるし…

    I understand this to roughly mean “I’ve been visiting/praying at the shrine zealously.” (side note: is zealous too strong a word here for “熱心”?)

    I note the “わけ” in it but it ends with “である” instead of “でない”
    Does that mean the sentence is saying “visiting/praying at the shrine zealously” *is* the reason? So I assume it should be “It’s because I’ve been visiting/praying at the shrine zealously,”?

    If so, why not use “から” instead?

    Thanking you in advance.

    1. こんにちは、アルト!
      サイトに来てくれてありがとう!

      *Is zealous too strong a word here for “熱心”?

      → No, it isn’t. 熱心に祈る means to pray “zealously” or it could be “devotedly”

      わけ has many different usages besides わけではない・わけがない

      わけである is used when you explain something or give a reason.

      You can also say わけであるから to give a reason.

      Because I’ve been visiting/praying at the shrine zealously ~
      or
      I’ve been visiting/praying at the shrine zealously so ~~

      1. I see, just so I understand this clearly, does it imply that “熱心に祠に参っていたわけであるから” is stronger than just saying “熱心に祠に参っていたから”?

        Since “から” already makes the statement before it a reason, it seems like adding “わけである” before it is either redundant or doubling the emphasis.

        1. 〜わけであるから sounds more formal and explanatory than 〜から.

          わけである can be used when you simply explain some fact / some situation 
          To understand more clearly I need to know the sentence before/after 熱心に祠に参っていたわけであるし…

          し in ~わけであるし implies there are more reasons.

          1. Ah, I think I get it now.

            As for the sentence, although there is a し in it, it only listed one reason. It was one of the other things that struck to me as odd, and I simply assumed that whatever other reasons there were, they’ve been omitted, though I have no idea if that makes grammatical sense since I’ve only ever seen し used to list more than one thing.

            Here it is in full:
            熱心に祠に参っていたわけであるし、信仰を集めれば願い事を叶えなえられる。

            From context, I had already hazarded a guess that the first part is the reason for the second. But I had no idea what the わけである part meant (until I Iooked it up on your site).

            Your explanation has helped clear it up for me.
            ありがとうございました、マギー先生!

          2. OK, now it is clear. It is a reason as you already figured out.
            As for the usage し, it implies that there are other reasons or emphasizes the sentence.

          3. Whoops, sorry about the copypasta typo: should’ve been ” 叶えられる”, but I’m sure you already guessed that.

  14. 先生がみんなすべての答えを知っているわけではない。

    = Teachers don’t necessarily know all the answers./ It is not always true that all the teachers know the answers.

    If わけ means reason* and logically わけではない means it is not the reason why*, I don’t see how “it is not necesarily” or “it is not always true that” relates to “it is not the reason why”. I simply don’t see it. I would appreciate an explanation to better understand what’s going on. It may be that わけ is not being properly translated into English and some important understanding of the word is being left out…

    1. I see your confusions.
      I added some words in the beginning.

      The main meaning of 訳 is reason(s)
      It also means “judgement from what you read/heard. / meaning / case”

      So it may be easier for you to think
      わけではない is “It doesn’t mean / It can’t be based on what you read/heard” → It is not always true ~ / It is not necessary true.

      Hope it helps…

      There are many more expressions with わけ. I will make more lessons in future.

      1. (I’m sorry, I replied to the wrong post before.)

        Thanks for replying.
        I’m very inquisitive. I need to understand what I’m saying instead of repeating words tht don’t seem to make sense in my mind.

        わけ seems to be a very challenging word and it may bee partly because just like it happens with many other Japanese words and expressions we receive simplified translations that leave out the essential idea behind words which then ends up hindering proper comprehension of the Japanese language.

        I looked up and found the verb 訳する (yakusuru) which means “to tranlate”, “to interpret”, so I conclude that the actual meaning of わけ is essentially “translation” and “interpretation” and not “reason”. Perhaps “reason” is a re-interpretation of the original meaning behind わけ but not the original meaning itself. If I think of わけ as meaning translation or interpretation the sentence above seems to make more sense and from that it can be accomodated it to make more sense in English.

        “It does not translate to teachers knowing everything”.
        At least in my mind that is what I think is being actually said and from there one can accomodate it to make it sound more natural in English, “It doesn’t mean that…”.

        1. No problem. (I deleted the same message.)
          The verb 訳する means “to translate old Japanese (古語) or foreign languages (外国語)”.
          But I think it is a good idea to figure out by the meaning of kanji 訳 (reason, meaning, interpretation)

  15. Hi Sensei,

    May I inquire the meaning of “わけでもない”?I am sorry but when I googled it, it only showed me this page. If you have discussed this previously in another post, do kindly share the link with me. Would appreciate it very much

    fivebx

    1. The meaning is the same as わけではない (It doesn’t exactly mean ~, etc.)

      You use わけでもない
      1) when you negate a couple of things.
      (Aのわけでもないし)Bのわけでもない。
      (It doesn’t mean A) It doesn’t either mean B.

      Ex.(彼女が嫌いになったわけでもないし)彼女と別れようと思っているわけでもない。
      = (It doesn’t mean I stop liking her) I am not thinking about breaking up with her.

      2) When someone tells you something, and you negate the possibility in a subtle way.

      A: どうして今日は、出かけないの? 疲れたの?
      = How come you don’t go out today? Are you tired?
      B : そういうわけでもないんだけど…
      = Not exactly but…

      1. I see! So the difference is that it is used for a couple of things rather than for one thing where you use わけではない instead, right?

        fivebx

  16. 先生がみんなすべての答えを知っているわけではない。
    Why did it has minna and subete adjectives for kotae, i am thinking that “minna” means all in japanese, and “subete” is means all too. Is it redundant?

    ありがとうございます!先生マギーこのサイトが一番だから

    1. @Yunkekakugo

      こんにちは、Yunkekakugo
      You are right. すべて and みんな both mean “all” but in this case, what modifies is different.
      先生がみんな = all the teachers (modifies teachers)
      すべての答え= all the answers (modifies answers)

  17. There are two more ways(maybe even more :p) how to say not really which are
    べつに ~ない
    As in:
    別にかまわないよ。
    betsu ni kamawanai yo.
    I don’t really care.

    And secondly, the combination of both, as in:
    別に彼のために作ったわけではない。
    betsu ni kare no tame ni tsukutta wake dewa nai.
    It’s not like I made this for him.

    Is it just formality, synonyms? Or what exactly is the difference between those three versions?

    1. You add 別に when you deny something and it means “not particularly, not really”

      別にかまわない = I don’t really care
      別に興味がない = I am not really into this.

      別にVわけではない
      別にきらいと言っているわけではない
      = I am not really saying I don’t like ~

  18. Hello Sensei,

    I really need your help and I hope you will give me your guidance.

    I’ve been reading an interview from a Japanese music magazine (or rather it’s a dialogue between two musicians from two different bands), and it was more or less OK until I stumbled upon this really difficult passage near the end.
    So the person from YMO (more experienced) is talking to the person from BUCK-TICK about the complex interaction between musicians and their audiences, and here’s what he says to him at one point (I have made each sentence a separate paragraph to make it clearer for myself):

    “バクチクが売れれば売れる程、バクチクっていうブランドが一人歩きするようになるわけで、自分たちが考えてることとどんどん違う見られかたとかされる。

    例えば全員が、髪の毛を短く切ったりするじゃない、そしたら「バクチクはこうじゃない」とか言われたりするわけじゃない。

    自分たちが考えてやったことでもさ。

    「アタシたちのバクチクは、あ~じゃなかった」とかさ。

    そいう巨大な誤解がヒットであるわけだし、現象としてのね。

    ま、だから楽しいんだけど。

    僕たちは「ショウ・ビジネスは楽しい」っていう言い方はしないもんね。

    一応ロック・アーティストだから。

    ショウ・ビジネスの中で客にサービスしようと思って来たわけじゃないし。”

    For some reason, the first 5 sentences just do not make any sense to me. :-(

    At first I thought that maybe it’s one of those cases in colloquial speech where じゃない actually has a positive meaning, but after re-reading your lesson on わけじゃない, I realized I must be wrong and here it actually means the things that indeed WON’T be done and said.

    Then I thought that perhaps I’ve got something wrong in the first sentence because of the passive voices and what does what to what. Or maybe I’m misreading the “一人歩きする” part (does the “ensuing independence of the brand” have negative implications in terms of being overwhelming and “dictating its own terms” to the musicians – or, on the contrary, positive ones likes being able to do what you want?)

    I can see that the whole thing is somehow summed up in the 5th sentence which looks really important, but I can’t understand it at all because the structure is a bit unusual, and I don’t understand how “huge misunderstanding” and “ヒットでする” (“to be a success”??) correlate to each other.

    Anyway, for some reason, nothing in this passage adds up AT ALL. :-(

    So… could you please kindly explain the first 5 sentences to me? Or at least the gist of it, so that I can see the point he’s making?

    I have done all the research I could do by myself, dictionary- and grammarwise, and I’m just desperate.

    I would be so so grateful if you could help me!

    1. @Anna

      Hello Anna,
      I don’t do the translation but will help you some part of the gist.

      The more Buck-Tick has becomes popular, the more the “brand” of the band spreads by itself. As a result people see them with the “brand” image which could be different from their intention.
      For example if they get their hair cut short or when they do something different from the brand image, people get upset saying Buck-Tick should be like that,etc even if that is what the band really wants to do.
      But it is a fact that all these huge misunderstandings create the smash hits as well as a phenomenon.

      1. Ah, so it was the positive meaning after all.

        Thank you Sensei!

        It all makes sense now!

        Yes, I know that doing translations is hard work, I’m sorry for coming out of the blue with this big chunk of text – but I was translating this interview for myself and other fans of the band, which is my hobby and my main way of studying Japanese – and I got terribly stuck. The problem is, I had nobody else to ask since my Japanese is entirely self-taught, and colloquial speech is the most problematic point for me since it’s not covered in any books, so…
        Thank you again for answering!

        1. @Anna

          No problem.
          I could see you have been trying hard translating so I wanted to help you a little.
          It is a great way to study Japanese from what you are interested in. :)

  19. you僕らはうそをついてるわけじゃなくてもなぜかすれちがい.__…..___

    What does wake literally mean in that sentence? Can you translate it literally.Im confused

    1. Hello Rodney,
      the pattern わけじゃなくても means “Though we~” / “Even if it doesn’t mean that we~” / “Though it’s not that we~”.

      => 僕らはうそをついてるわけじゃなくても = “Though we are telling the truth” / “Even if it doesn’t mean that we are lying” / “Though it’s not that we are lying”.

      ヨロシク。

      1. That was my next guess lol but ten’nin reminded me of clerk xd

        またありがとうございます

  20. Hello Sensei. I have a doubt about “de aru”. I can say “Maggie no kare de aru wake ga nai”, but I can’t say “Maggie no kare DA wake ga nai”, it has to be “kare no wake”, right?
    Then, is “de aru” that different from “da”?
    Also, If I wanna say it in past tense, “Maggie no kare datta wake ga nai” is correct or should I use “de atta” or something like that? It confuses me that somethimes de aru is used where “da” as a more formal version but also in place of “no” :-|
    And, If I say “Kare no yume wa watashi no yume de mo atta” (trying to say “his dream was my dream too”), is it common or sounds too formal? Any more casual way to say it?
    Thank you!!

    1. @Sarah

      Hello Sarah,

      Q : I can say “Maggie no kare de aru wake ga nai”, but I can’t say “Maggie no kare DA wake ga nai”, it has to be “kare no wake”, right?

      Yes, that’s right.
      As for the difference between だ and である, let’s compare the following sentences.

      1)あの犬はマギーの彼だ。
      = That dog is Maggie’s boyfriend.

      2) あの犬はマギーの彼である。
      = That dog is Maggie’s boyfriend.

      They both mean the same but 2) has more explanatory tone.
      1) だ is an auxiliary verb which comes after a noun, in this case 彼(=kare)
      2) で= is a particle and ある is a verb

      わけがない won’t come after だ.

      Q : Also, If I wanna say it in past tense, “Maggie no kare datta wake ga nai” is correct or should I use “de atta” or something like that?

      As I explained in other people’s question, though we hear people use “past tense + わけがない”, it is not so common.
      Usually we use “present tense” + わけがなかった/わけがありませんでした。

      So I would say 彼のわけがなかった/彼であるわけがなかった

  21. Maggie先生、こんにちは。

    ハンスと申します。
    このWEBSITEを見つけてよかった!
    でも、まだ質問があります。

    「わけがない」と「わけではない」は過去形にできますか。
    *since in my textbook it is said that for a verb before わけがない is 普通形、 I suppose I can change it to past tense.

    例えば「食べるわけがなかった」、「食べるわけがありませんでした」、「食べるなわけがないでした」。

    それとも、『食べたわけがない』ですか。
    if it is possible, I suppose it is going to be like this in English?
    ^it WAS impossible to EAT (this)^

    それとも、『食べたわけがなかった』てすか。
    Is it used in Japanese?
    Although literally in English it is wrong to change the form of a verb after ‘to’ to become like this:
    ^it WAS impossible to ATE (this)^

    宜しくお願いします :grin:

    1. @Hans

      こんにちは、ハンス!このサイトを見つけてくれてうれしいです。
      Q: 「わけがない」と「わけではない」は過去形にできますか。
      A: はいできます。

      *present tense+ わけがなかった /わけがありませんでした。

      Ex. 食べるわけがなかった・食べるわけがありませんでした。

      *present tense+ わけではなかった /わけではありませんでした

      Ex. 食べるわけではなかった・食べるわけではありませんでした

      Note: past tense+わけがない” is not so common.
      食べたわけがない sounds a bit strange.

      *****

      2)

      *past tense + わけではない・わけではありません

      Ex. 食べたわけではない・食べたわけではない

      3)

      double past tense + わけではなかった・ありませんでした。

      Ex. 食べたわけではなかった・食べたわけではありませんでした

      Note: Again though some people use “past tense”+わけがなかった・ありませんでした in conversation it is not so common
      食べたわけがなかった・ありませんでした doesn’t sound natural.

  22. Thank you so much! Your explanations are detailed and easy to understand. The part where you explained the difference between わけではない and わけがない was invaluable. The textbooks I’m learning from (N3 Kanzen or Sou Matome) do not explain the nuances between the two forms as well as you did. I have been enlightened!

    Thank you so much!

  23. Dear Maggie先生,

    First of all I wanted to thank you very very much for such wonderful lessons. You made them in a very interesting and easy-to-learn way, which is quite difficult. I am also really impressed how precise your lessons are. Thanks to you my japanese has become much better.
    Now, if you allow, I’d like to ask you two questions about わけ.

    1. When わけがない cannot be interchanged with はずがない? It’s quite difficult to see the difference between わけがないand はずがない, however there is a difference, which is: 「はずがない」は客観的判断であり、「わけがない」は主観的判断です。

    2. What’s the difference between というわけ vs (な)わけ, and when is it necessary to use というわけ instead of (な)わけ?

    例) 
    1. 絶対に嫌だというわけではない。 VS 絶対に嫌なではない。
    2. あの二人は仲が悪いというわけではないがよく言い争いをしている。 VS あの二人は仲が悪いわけではないがよく言い争いをしている。
    3. そんなに複雑なわけではないがやたら時間がかかる。 VS そんなに複雑(だ)というわけではないがやたら時間がかかる。
     
    I think that 「という」 used in 「というわけ」(depending on context) might also imply hearsay (伝聞) (people say/they say/it seems like). Which means that the speaker doesn’t fully agree with the – let’s call it – general idea of something or second-hand information. This brings me to the conclusion that そんなに複雑なわけではないがやたら時間がかかる means: It is not so complicated, but it takes a lot of time, and そんなに複雑というわけではないがやたら時間がかかる could mean:
    1. It is not that they [/people] say it’s so complicated, but it takes a lot of time, or
    2. It is not that I say it’s so complicated, but it takes a lot of time.

    Am I right?

    やっぱし難しいやね・・・その違いを詳しく説明して頂けると有り難いです。宜しくお願い致します。
    天人より

    1. @Tennin

      こんにちは!Tennin!
      Thank you for your nice message!
      1. わけがない and はずがない :
      Yes わけがない is subjective and はずがない is objective.
      Ex. 1) 日曜日なのに銀行が開いているはずがない
      Ex. 2) 日曜日なのに銀行が開いているわけがない。
      The translation can be the same and we may use them the same way but Ex.1) All the banks are supposed to be closed on Sunday. Ex.2) There is no way that banks are open on Sunday and it express your strong opinion.

      2) (A little correction 絶対に嫌なではない。→絶対に嫌なわけではない)

      I think your interpretation is correct in certain cases but という is not always for hearsay. We also use it when we explain how things work. The main difference between ~というわけではない and ~わけではない is ~というわけではない is more explanatory.
      I have mentioned in my という lesson so please go check.

  24. Hi Maggiesensei. I have a doubt In this sentence:

    「まだふられたわけではないじゃない。」

    = But that doesn’t mean you’ve been dumped yet.

    It seems to me that “being dumped” is negated twice. Like: But that doesn’t mean that you’ve been dumped yet, it isn’t.

    How does that work, sensei?

    1. @NecroMadMat
      Hi! Welcome to the comment section! U^ェ^U

      OK, I see your confusion.
      This “まだ=yet” is for わけではない not for ふられた.

      Let’s break it down.
      まだふられたわけではない。
      The sentence structure is
      まだ…..わけではない。
      That/It doesn’t mean …. yet
      (It is too early to assume/think…)

      It is denying the fact
      “ふられた=to be dumped/to have been dumped”

      Therefore it means,

      “That/It doesn’t mean yet.”

    2. @NecroMadMad

      Hi!! Welcome to the comment section!!

      「まだふられたわけではないじゃない。」
      じゃない is confusing, huh?

      じゃない is a casual form of ではない and as you said, it is used to make a negative form.

      Ex. マギーはねこではない→マギーはねこじゃない= Maggie is not a cat.
      Ex. この言葉は日本語ではない→この言葉は日本語じゃない。 = This word is not Japanese.

      However this じゃない in the example sentence is not for negative sentence.
      It means the same as でしょ= desho
      まだふられたわけではないでしょ。
      and used as a tag question such as “isn’t it?/ don’t you?, etc.” or express your opinion and asking the listener for their agreement.

      And it simply stresses the previous part “まだふられたわけではない”

      Women use this form often.

      Men would say じゃないか= janaika
      まだふられたわけではないじゃないか。

      It is a great question. If I have a chance, I will make a lesson on じゃない for you.

      1. Thank you Maggiesensei. It makes sense now. XD A lesson about the different ways of ending a sentence in this manner during conversation would be awesome! :D

    1. @mil

      I just made a mini lesson on kara on Facebook. ~kara
      Kara and dakara indicate the reasons for something. (Because ~ , since~ , ~ so, etc.)
      The difference between ~から and ~だから are what comes before them
      *~だから is for na-adjective

      * 元気(=げんき)+だから
      Ex. お子さんはいつも元気だからいいですね。
      = Okosan wa itsumo genki dakara ii desune.
      = You must to be happy because your children are always cheerful.

      *静か(=しずか)+だから

      *~から is for i-adjective or verbs

      Ex. 静かだから誰もいないと思った。
      = I thought nobody was here because it was so quiet.

      *おいしい+ から

      Ex. おいしいからもっとちょうだい!
      = It’s delicious so give me some more.

      *走った+から
      Ex. たくさん走ったから疲れた。= Takusan hashitta kara tsukareta. = I ran a lot so I am tired.

      *勉強する+から
      Ex. もっと勉強するから自転車を買って!
      = Motto benkyou surukara jitensha wo katte!
      = I will study more so buy me a bicycle!

      Also だから can be used in the beginning of the sentence and gives a reason for the previous sentence.
      Ex. 昨日は風邪をひいていました。
      = Kinou wa kaze wo hiiteimashita.
      = I had cold yesterday.
      だから宿題ができませんでした。
      = Dakara shukudai ga dekimasen deshita.
      = That’s why I couldn’t do any homework.
      Note : You can’t start a sentence with から

      I explained how to use だから in this lesson,too. Please check it.

      1. Thank you very very much. It really helped me.
        You are an amazing teacher. I always study your lessons.
        I hope you keep adding more lessons.
        When I have a question, I hope you teach me.
        Thanks again.

        1. @mil

          You’re very welcome!
          And thank you for studying my lessons! Feel free to ask me a question anytime. You can also follow me on Twitter. People always ask me random questions there.
          がんばって! !happyface!

          1. Hi sensei. I have a suggestion. Why don’t you include a detailed description about Kanji in your site and give an example about each kanji? I think this is a great idea as it will help me and many students in learning kanji.I want to know how to write and when to use them. Can you help me?
            I hope to hear from you sensei.

          2. @mil

            Thank you for your suggestion. However, but there are a lot of sites where you can learn Kanji already exist. Ex.one. English site.
            Google them. I know there are so many kanji but start from first grader kanji.
            And if you have a question regarding how to read and stuff, I can always help you on Twitter.

          3. Thank you sensei. I’ll try to study from the site that you gave me.Sensei, are you Japanese?
            How do you know so much about this language?
            I wish I can have this amount of knowledge you have.

  25. Sensei, hajimemashite. Watashi wa Indonesia kara no Dani desu. Ima daigaku de nihongo no ronbun wo kaiteimasu. Robun no teema wa wake toiu kotodesu. Sorede, kono saito wo mitsukete, hontou ni tasukarimashita. Wake no tsukaikata wa iro-iro de atte, juubun komatte imasu. I’m sorry for my poor japanese. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu….

    1. @dani

      今日は!dani! このサイトを見つけてくれてうれしいです。I am happy to hear you found this site.
      論文(ろんぶん)がんばってくださいね!!

  26. “Inu no kuse ni nihongo ga oshierareru wake ga nai.”

    I must disagree, Maggie Sensai is fantastic at teaching me. I have learned quite a bit these last few hours. I have even noticed that when I am reading one of the sentences my mouth just automatically seems to know what sound to make for the next couple of syllables. It is kind of nice. Then I kind freak out thinking my brain was moving faster then my mouth only to find out that what I slipped out was actually correct.

    Arigatou!

    Signed,
    Adam

    1. @Adam
      Thank you for your nice comment! ありがとう!
      Wow! How impressive! I wish I had your brain!
      これからもこのサイトに来て下さいね!
      Love from Maggie boucingheart!

  27. hajime mashite, maggie-sensei
    remi to moushi masu ga.

    4 nen kan jibun de benkyou shita kara, nihongo ga hanaseru you ni narimashita. mada shoushinsha keredo mo dekireba watashi wa motto joutatsu
    shitai to omoi masu.

    ima no nihongo nouryoku wa dou desu ka?

    kono burogu de oshiete kurete arigatou gozaimasu.
    ganbatte kudasai.

  28. はじめまして, マギー先生
    レミともうしますが

    4年間自分で勉強したから,日本語が話せるようになりました.
    まだ初心者けれどもできれば私は上達したいと思います.

    私の日本語能力はどうですか

    このブログで教えてくれてありがとうございます.

    1. @Remi

      独学(どくがく)4年間でそれだけの日本語が書けて話せるのはすごいですね。
      (ちょっとだけ直しますね。初心者けれども→初心者ですが)
      後は、自然な日本語を身につけていけば完璧(かんぺき)だと思いますよ!
      がんばって下さいね。 !happyface!

      1. (初心者けれども→初心者ですが)

        分かりました。今度は違えないようにします. (^_^)

        ありがとうございます, マギー先生

        1. @Remi

          どういたしまして!!一緒に練習しましょうね!
          (もう一つね、違えない様に→almost! 間違えない様に)

          1. 私がまた 間違えちゃった.(笑)

            マギー先生, どうやってエラーを避けるんですか?

          2. @Remi
            間違いをしない様にする方法があります!
            それはいっぱい間違えて、直してもらってそれを覚えること!だから間違いをすることを恐れないで下さい。
            いつでも直します!

  29. Sensei, one more thing to bother you. I can’t listen to sound clips on iPad & iPhone because flash player cannot be played on both devices. Strangely it works on my Mac. Is there any solution?

    1. @Top
      I know….I have an iPhone and iPad,too but they don’t support Flash/ Adove. I found this video
      The appr called CloudBrowse. It seems to work… but it changes the fonts. I guess I need more time to do some research…

      1. thank you so much sensei..but..oh no..it’s not free anymore..that’s ok. I’ll just have to listen to your sound clips on my Mac for the time being.

        1. @Top

          It used to be free, huh?
          I am sure iPad/iPhone will develop something soon to be able to use Flash…(I hope…)
          I will let you know whenever I find out a good free appr! ごめんね!

          1. @Top

            I think I just figured out how to make an audio file that you can listen with your iphone or ipad. Check my latest lesson. お開き!and let me know how it works.

  30. Oh thank you for this lesson, it was a life-saver! I always keep confusing the two forms! But I remember seeing わけでもない once, used in the flow of a conversation; is it the same thing that わけではない with a も instead of は, or is it somewhat related to tricky particle でも?

    1. @Daeva

      Hi Daeva!
      Good to hear this lesson helps you! !happyface!
      The English translation for わけではない and わけでもない could be the same but there is a slight nuance difference.
      I am not sure if I can answer this in the comment section but,

      1) わけではない denies stronger than わけでもない

      A) そういうわけではない That is not the reason / That is not the case /
      B) そういうわけでもない Not exactly

      わけでもない sounds more vague and it implies that could be a part of the reason.

      2) However there are cases わけでもない emphasizes more than わけではない like “even”

      C) 先生になるわけではない (It doesn’t mean (this person) will become a teacher.)
      D) 先生になるわけでもない ((This person) won’t become “even” a teacher)

      1. 今、二級を勉強していますが、この違い前にあまり分からなかったから、教えてくれてありがとうございます!

  31. Maggie sensei, thank you very much for this blog! I am reading it all the time and I have learnt a lot. It is extremely useful.

    I have to say only one thing…

    I am married to a Japanese, and he often uses わけがない also in a sense that something is easy/simple.

    1. @Sash

      Thank you for always visiting this site!
      ああ〜That’s “わけない” not “わけがない”

      Ex.Q : この問題解ける?
      = Kono mondai tokeru?
      = Can you solve this problem?

      A : わけないよ!
      = Wakenai yo!
      = It is easy!! / It is a piece of cake!

      or
      この問題はわけなく解ける
      = Kono mondai wa wakenaku tokeru.
      = I can solve this problem without any problems.

      I should add that to the next lesson, huh?

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