N3154/219

ないことはない

V-ないことはない

Meanings

  • not impossible
  • it's possible
  • there is a chance
  • within reach; not that it cannot happen

About this pattern

Explanation

ないことはない is a soft way to acknowledge that something is possible or that a negative statement isn't entirely true. It means “it's not that … is impossible,” or “there is a possibility that …,” often used to moderate a stronger claim or to be cautiously optimistic. It can soften a denial or create room for a positive outcome without overpromising. It commonly attaches to verbs in the negative form (V-ない) to express that not achieving the outcome is not necessarily the case, and to phrases that imply feasibility or likelihood in context.

Learn in context

Example sentences

日本語を毎日勉強すれば、話せないことはない。

If you study Japanese every day, it's not impossible to speak it.

この問題は難しく見えるが、やり方を知っていれば解けないことはない。

This problem looks difficult, but if you know the method, it's not impossible to solve.

彼なら努力すれば、成功できないことはないと思う。

If he puts in the effort, I think it's not impossible for him to succeed.

調べれば、答えが見つからないことはない。

If you look it up, you will definitely find the answer.