〜かねる kaneru
〜かねる（kaneru）means “cannot do; be unable to bring oneself to”. Attaches to the masu-stem of a verb to express that the speaker cannot or finds it hard to do something, often because of circumstances or feelings, not physical inability. Formation: V-ます + かねる
cannot do; be unable to bring oneself to
N2Formation
V-ます + かねる
Explanation
Attaches to the masu-stem of a verb to express that the speaker cannot or finds it hard to do something, often because of circumstances or feelings, not physical inability. Formal and frequently used in polite/business contexts (e.g. お受けしかねます).
Examples
Note
Don't confuse with 〜かねない, which means 'might well (do something bad)' — the opposite nuance.
FAQ
〜かねる — what does it mean and how is it used?
cannot do; be unable to bring oneself to. Attaches to the masu-stem of a verb to express that the speaker cannot or finds it hard to do something, often because of circumstances or feelings, not physical inability. Formal and frequently used in polite/business contexts (e.g. お受けしかねます).
〜かねる — how do you form it?
V-ます + かねる
〜かねる — any usage notes?
Don't confuse with 〜かねない, which means 'might well (do something bad)' — the opposite nuance.