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14/05/2026
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Vague Expressions ⑨: How to Use 「〜かねません」
Kotoba Drill Editor
Today's theme
「〜かねません」 is an expression that softly says there is a possibility of an undesirable result.
Instead of saying directly, 「問題になります。」 (It will become a problem.) or 「危険です。」 (It is dangerous.), you use a form like 「そうなりかねない（なる可能性がある）」 (it could turn out that way) to encourage the other person to be careful.
- 「このまま続けると、問題になりかねません。」 (If we continue like this, it could become a problem.)
- 「誤解を招きかねない表現は避けましょう。」 (Let us avoid expressions that could cause misunderstanding.)
Today, we learn what situations it is used in and how to choose between similar expressions through examples.
Meaning and core of 「〜かねません」
「〜かねません」 is an expression used to show a negative possibility.
| Wording | How it sounds |
|---|---|
| 「〜になります。」 | States it as a fact. |
| 「〜になりかねません。」 | Indirectly warns that it may become so. |
| 「〜かもしれません。」 | Says there is a possibility; it can be good or bad. |
The key feature of 「かねません」 is that it is used only for negative or undesirable content. It is not used for good results, as in 「うまくいきかねません。」.
Important: 「〜かねます」 and 「〜かねません」 have different meanings
「かねます」 and 「かねません」 look similar, but their meanings are completely different. This is the point learners most often confuse.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 「〜かねます」 | cannot / difficult to do; a polite refusal | 「ご要望にはお答えかねます。」 |
| 「〜かねません」 | something undesirable may happen; a warning | 「このまま続けると問題になりかねません。」 |
Use 「かねます」 when you politely say that you cannot do something. Use 「かねません」 when you warn about another person, action, or situation.
Examples:
- 「承認しかねます。」（私には承認できません） (I cannot approve it.) ← cannot / decline
- 「このまま進めると、後で問題になりかねません。」（問題が起きるかもしれない） (If we proceed like this, a problem may occur later.) ← warning
If you remember this difference, you will not get confused when reading or using these forms.
Sentence form and how to build it
「かねません」 is added after the verb’s 「ます」 form, with 「ます」 removed.
| Verb | 「ます」 stem | With 「かねません」 |
|---|---|---|
| 「なる」 | 「なり」 | 「なりかねません」 |
| 「招く」 | 「招き」 | 「招きかねません」 |
| 「壊す」 | 「壊し」 | 「壊しかねません」 |
| 「起こる」 | 「起こり」 | 「起こりかねません」 |
| 「広がる」 | 「広がり」 | 「広がりかねません」 |
Point: The pattern is 「ます形＋かねません」. It changes like 「食べる → 食べかねません」 and 「行く → 行きかねません」.
Difference from 「〜かもしれません」
Both forms express possibility, but there is one major difference.
| Expression | Content | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| 「〜かもしれません」 | Can be used for both good and bad things | from conversation to formal settings |
| 「〜かねません」 | Used only for undesirable content | slightly formal; suited to business |
Examples:
- 「明日は晴れるかもしれません。」 (A weather forecast; neutral.)
- 「このままでは遅刻するかもしれません。」 (The possibility of being late; neutral wording.)
- 「このままでは遅刻になりかねません。」 (Warns about the possibility of being late; more formal wording.)
「かねません」 has a stronger nuance of awareness of a problem and encouraging caution.
Difference from 「〜おそれがあります」
「〜おそれがあります」 is also used to express a negative possibility. It is often used in news and official writing.
| Expression | Formality | Common scenes |
|---|---|---|
| 「〜かねません」 | medium to high | business, conversation, words of caution |
| 「〜おそれがあります」 | high; formal | news, weather information, official documents |
Examples:
- 「台風が接近するおそれがあります。」 (News or weather information.)
- 「費用がさらに増えるかねません。」 (A caution in a meeting or business setting.)
「おそれがあります」 sounds harder and more formal. In everyday business conversation, 「かねません」 usually sounds more natural.
Scene ①: warning about a problem or risk
Use it to softly point out a problem you notice or a risk that may arise from the situation.
- 「このペースでは、締め切りに間に合わなくなりかねません。」 (At this pace, we may miss the deadline.)
- 「その発言は、誤解を招きかねません。」 (That remark could cause misunderstanding.)
- 「無理を続けると、体を壊しかねません。」 (If you keep pushing yourself, you could harm your health.)
In this way, it is used when you tell someone that continuing like this may lead to a bad result. It sounds softer than directly saying, 「問題です。」 (This is a problem.)
Scene ②: giving caution in business or formal settings
It is suited to caution and advice in formal settings such as the workplace, meetings, and emails.
- 「この手順を省くと、後でトラブルになりかねません。」 (If we skip this step, it could cause trouble later.)
- 「確認なしに進めると、後から修正が必要になりかねません。」 (If we proceed without checking, corrections may be needed later.)
- 「ご連絡が遅れると、先方にご迷惑をおかけしかねません。」 (If our reply is delayed, it may inconvenience the other party.)
When you use 「かねません」, you can point out a problem politely without blaming the other person too strongly. It is useful when a manager advises a team member, or when colleagues advise each other.
Caution: do not use it for good results
「かねません」 is always used for negative or undesirable content. Do not use it for good results or neutral topics.
| Situation | Natural wording | If you use 「かねません」; unnatural |
|---|---|---|
| possibility of success | 「うまくいくかもしれません。」 | ✗ 「うまくいきかねません。」 (The meaning goes the wrong way.) |
| possibility of danger | 「事故が起きかねません。」 | ✅ 「事故が起きかねません。」 |
Also, it is not used much in casual speech, such as conversations with friends. Because it sounds a little formal, it fits business and written language better.
Where 「〜かねません」 fits and does not fit
| Fits | Does not fit |
|---|---|
| when politely pointing out a problem in business | when talking about the possibility of a good result |
| when giving caution or warning in a formal setting | casual conversation with friends |
| when explaining a risk in an email or report | when talking about a neutral possibility; use 「かもしれません」 |
| when saying that continuing like this will cause trouble | very official settings; use 「おそれがあります」 |
Rephrasing options (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））＋ IPA)
Here is how to choose between 「かねません」 and similar expressions.
| Rephrase type | Goal | Example | Reading (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））) | Pronunciation (IPA) | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warning about a negative possibility | caution about something undesirable | 「問題になりかねません。」 (It could become a problem.) | （もんだい に なり かね ません） | [mo̞nndai ni naɾi kane̞masɛɴ] | softly expresses a negative possibility |
| Neutral possibility | good or bad, both possible | 「間に合わないかもしれません。」 (We may not make it in time.) | （ま に あわない かも しれません） | [ma ni awaɴai kamo̞ ɕiɾe̞masɛɴ] | neutral; can also be used for good outcomes |
| Polite refusal | say something you cannot do | 「お答えしかねます。」 (I am unable to answer.) | （おこたえ し かね ます） | [o̞ko̞tae̞ ɕi kaɴe̞masɯ] | a polite form of 「できません」 |
| Public or official warning | express risk formally | 「事故が起こるおそれがあります。」 (There is a risk that an accident may occur.) | （じこ が おこる おそれ が あります） | [dʑiko̞ ɡa o̞ko̞ɾɯ o̞so̞ɾe̞ ɡa aɾimasɯ] | suited to news and official documents |
| Strong negative certainty | state that something cannot happen | 「そんなことになるはずがありません。」 (That should not happen.) | （そんな こと に なる はず が ありません） | [so̞nna ko̞to̞ ni naɾɯ hazɯ ɡa aɾimasɛɴ] | denial with a clear basis |
Note
IPA is approximate. Vowel length and the sound of 「ん」 vary by speaker. Check together with kana.
Practical switching examples (daily life and work｜kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））＋ IPA)
If you choose 「かねません」 according to the scene, your meaning becomes clearer.
| Scene | Intention | Better wording | Reading (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））) | Pronunciation (IPA) | Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily life (health) | pushing too hard is bad for the body | 「無理をすると体を壊しかねません。」 (If you push yourself too hard, you could harm your health.) | （むり を すると からだ を こわし かね ません） | [mɯɾi o̞ sɯɾɯto̞ kaɾada o̞ ko̞waɕi kane̞masɛɴ] | concern and warning for the other person |
| Daily life (relationships) | the wording may sound harsh | 「その言い方では、傷つけかねません。」 (That way of speaking could hurt someone.) | （その いい かた で は きずつけ かね ません） | [so̞no̞ iikata de̞ wa kizɯtsɯke̞ kane̞masɛɴ] | gives caution softly |
| School (study) | at this pace, the exam is at risk | 「このペースでは、試験に落ちかねません。」 (At this pace, you could fail the exam.) | （この ペース で は しけん に おち かね ません） | [ko̞no̞ peːsɯ de̞ wa ɕike̞ɴ ni o̞tɕi kane̞masɛɴ] | warning based on the situation |
| School (presentation) | if the explanation is too little, it will not get across | 「説明が少ないと、誤解を招きかねません。」 (If the explanation is too short, it could cause misunderstanding.) | （せつめい が すくない と ごかい を まねき かね ません） | [se̞tsɯme̞i ɡa sɯkɯnai to̞ ɡo̞kai o̞ maneki kane̞masɛɴ] | explains a specific risk |
| Work (checking) | if we do not check, it may cause trouble later | 「確認を省くと、後でトラブルになりかねません。」 (If we skip the check, it could cause trouble later.) | （かくにん を はぶく と あと で トラブル に なり かね ません） | [kakɯniɴ o̞ habɯkɯ to̞ ato̞ de̞ to̞ɾabɯɾɯ ni naɾi kane̞masɛɴ] | shows why the step matters |
| Work (email) | a late reply may be rude to the other party | 「ご返信が遅れると、ご迷惑をおかけしかねません。」 (If our reply is delayed, it may inconvenience the other party.) | （ごへんしん が おくれると ごめいわく を おかけ し かね ません） | [ɡo̞he̞nɕiɴ ɡa o̞kɯɾɯto̞ ɡo̞me̞iwakɯ o̞ o̞kake̞ ɕi kane̞masɛɴ] | polite expression for business email |
Small tips to make your message clearer
1) Add one short reason before it
If you give a reason before 「かねません」, the basis for the warning becomes clear.
- 「このペースでは」 → 「締め切りに間に合わなくなりかねません。」
- 「確認しないまま進めると」 → 「後でミスが起きかねません。」
Putting 「〜と」, 「〜では」, or 「〜ままでは」 before it makes the sentence natural.
2) Rephrase softly in conversation
In conversation with friends or family, 「かねません」 can sound a little stiff.
- ✅ Business email: 「問題になりかねません。」
- ✅ To a friend: 「問題になるかもしれないよ。」
If you switch to 「かもしれません」 according to the situation, your Japanese sounds more natural.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Common sentence | What is the issue? | Fix (example) |
|---|---|---|
| 「うまくいきかねません。」 | 「かねません」 is not used for good results | 「うまくいくかもしれません。」 |
| 「問題になるかねません。」 | plain verb form + 「かねません」 is incorrect | 「問題になりかねません。」 (from the 「ます」 stem) |
| 「お答えしかねません。」 | for refusal, use 「かねます」 | 「お答えしかねます。」 |
| 「少し遅れかねません。」 (in a neutral situation) | being a little late is neutral by itself; use it only in a negative context | 「少し遅れるかもしれません。」 |
Summary
「〜かねません」 is an expression for:
- softly saying that something undesirable may happen
- giving caution or warning in business and formal settings
- adding 「かねません」 to the verb’s 「ます」 stem
At the same time, be careful about these points:
- do not use it for the possibility of a good result
- do not confuse it with 「かねます」, which is used for refusal
- it fits formal settings better than casual conversation
When you want to say, "There may be a problem", use 「〜かもしれません」 in daily conversation, 「〜かねません」 in business or polite situations, and 「〜おそれがあります」 in news or official documents.
Choose according to the situation, and build natural Japanese that fits the scene.
