ないでもない

Japanese Grammar Advanced Japanese ★★★ 3/5 neutral ないでもないnai demo nai
Reading ないでもない
Romaji nai demo nai
Formation Verb ない-form + でもない / い-Adj くないでもない

Meaning

A double-negative phrase meaning 'it's not that I don't' or 'I somewhat do,' used to hesitantly or indirectly express a feeling, opinion, or possibility. It conveys reserved agreement or partial acknowledgement.

ないでもない uses double negation to soften an affirmative statement, making it sound tentative and hedged. The speaker implies that they do feel or think something but is reluctant to commit fully. This pattern is common in Japanese communication, where directness can feel too strong. It attaches to the ない-form of verbs and adjectives. Compared to なくもない, which is nearly synonymous, ないでもない tends to feel slightly more colloquial. The pattern is particularly useful in diplomatic situations, such as partially agreeing with a proposal or admitting a fault without full commitment. It often appears with expressions of emotion or judgement: 思わないでもない (it's not that I don't think so).

Examples

  1. 彼の提案に賛成しないでもないが、リスクが気になる。 It's not that I don't agree with his proposal, but the risks concern me.
  2. 転職を考えないでもないが、今の環境も悪くはない。 It's not that I haven't considered changing jobs, but my current environment isn't bad either.
  3. その映画に興味がないでもないが、時間が取れるかどうかわからない。 It's not that I'm not interested in that film, but I don't know if I can find the time.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: hedging

Do Say

  • 海外勤務を希望しないでもないが、家族の事情もある。
  • 彼の実力を認めないでもないが、まだ経験が足りない。
  • もう少し値下げすれば、購入を検討しないでもない。

Don't Say

  • 絶対に賛成しないでもない。(Mixing absolute language with a hedging expression — contradictory tone) → ある程度は賛成しないでもない。
  • 食べないでもない美味しい。(Incorrect structure — ないでもない must end the clause or be followed by が/けど) → 美味しくないでもないが、期待ほどではなかった。

Origin & History

This pattern is a natural extension of Japanese double negation. The で is the te-form of the copula, and も adds the meaning of 'even.' The full structure literally means 'it is not the case that it even does not exist,' yielding a hesitant affirmative.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

一切～ない A structure meaning 'not at all' or 'absolutely none,' used for emphatic total negation. It conveys that something is completely absent or that an action has never been performed. 何～ない A structure using 何 (なん/なに) with a negative predicate to express that something does not exist at all or that there is nothing of a particular kind. It creates emphatic absence. 滅多に～ない A structure indicating extremely low frequency, meaning 'rarely' or 'seldom.' It emphasises that something almost never happens or is encountered. ないことには A phrase meaning 'unless' or 'if one doesn't do something, then the next thing won't happen.' It emphasises that a certain action or state is a prerequisite for a desired outcome. ないまでも An adverbial phrase meaning 'even if not to the extent of' or 'if not X, then at least Y.' It expresses that while an ideal action or state may not be achieved, a lesser alternative should at minimum be pursued. なしに An adverbial phrase meaning 'without (doing) something,' indicating that an action proceeds in the absence of a condition or action. It can follow both nouns and verb dictionary forms. より・のほか（に）（は）～ない A phrase conveying that there is no other choice or option than to do something. It means 'there is nothing to do but' or 'the only option is,' expressing resigned determination. 一[Counter]として～ない A structure meaning 'not a single one' or 'not even one,' using a counter word to emphasise the complete absence of something. It is an emphatic way of saying zero.
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