N393/219

んじゃない

Verb (dictionary form) + んじゃないい-adjective (dictionary form) + んじゃないNoun + じゃない (used to deny or admonish)

Meanings

  • Don't
  • Mustn't
  • Shouldn't have

About this pattern

Explanation

んじゃない is a casual, emphatic way to tell someone not to do something or to admonish against a course of action. It often functions as a prohibition or strong advice, similar to “Don’t …” or “You shouldn’t …” in English. It can also be used to deny or challenge a situation when appended to nouns or adjectives, though its primary usage is prohibitive. The tone is rougher and more masculine/colloquial, and it’s commonly heard in spoken Japanese among friends, family, or in admonishing contexts. It often appears after the plain form of verbs, and can attach to i-adjectives. When used with a question-like intonation, it can express mild surprise or rhetorical expectation rather than a strict command.

Learn in context

Example sentences

そんなことをするんじゃない。

Don’t do such a thing.

ここでタバコを吸うんじゃない。

Don’t smoke here.

もう約束したんだから、遅刻するんじゃない。

You’ve already promised, so don’t be late.

彼は来るんじゃないかと思った。

I thought he might come.