かねる

かねる is used after the stem form of a verb to express that someone cannot or finds it difficult to do something, often due to circumstances, emotions, or a sense of propriety. It conveys a sense of restraint or hesitation rather than a simple factual inability. It is common in both formal written and spoken language, especially when a speaker wants to be polite or cautious. Note that the negative form appears as かねます (polite) or かねない in some contexts, but かねる itself is the base form for the main clause. It can also appear in the past tense かねた to describe past inability.