- JLPT N2
~っこない
NikoJLPT N2: ～っこない (there's no way)
This will be a nice, short lesson. Yay.
～っこない can be added to the ます-stem of verbs when you want to say "there's no way that VERB."
V ます ＋ っこない
there's no way that VERB
It is only used in casual language. Here is an example:
君がどんなに頑張ったって、彼には勝てっこないよ。
きみ が どんな に がんばったって、 かれ に は かてっこない よ。
It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to beat him.
It is very common to use ～っこない when talking about the impossibility or great unlikeliness of something. It is used in statements that express the speaker's opinion.
Another example:
こんな難しい計算、まだ７歳のアキラにはできっこない。
こんな むずかしい けいさん、 まだ ななさい の アキラ に は できっこない。
There’s no way that Akira, who’s still only seven, could possibly do a calculation this difficult.
～っこない is quite similar to the phrases わけがない and はずがない, which are JLPT N3 grammar topics. The main difference, again, is that you would not typically encounter ～っこない anywhere but in casual language.
Yet another example:
お金の無駄だよ。宝くじなんて、当たりっこないんだから。
おかね の むだ だ よ。 たからくじ なんて、 あたりっこない んだ から。
The lottery’s a waste of money. You’ll never win.
What do you think? Making sense?
This is one of those grammar points that I hear people using from time to time... and am always reminded that I'm not using it in my own Japanese.
Time for that to change, I'd say...
A:
嘘がばれたらどうするつもり？
うそ が ばれたら どう する つもり？
What are you planning to do if they find out you’re lying?
B:
ばれっこないから大丈夫。
ばれっこない から だいじょうぶ。
No one’s ever gonna find out, so don’t worry about it.
Finished! See? I told you the lesson would be short. :)
Niko
