Grammar › Emphatic Negation
なくもない — “it's not that there isn't…, sort of, a little”
A cautious double negative that grudgingly admits a small amount of something
Plain negative-stem + なくもない softens a statement into a reluctant, hedged admission — “it's not that there's no X” or “I guess there's a bit of X.” Double negatives like this are a common Japanese way to make a claim feel less direct or committed than a flat positive statement would.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Nai-stem + なくもない | 不安がなくもない — It's not that I have no worries (I have some) |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 彼の意見にも一理なくもない。 | かれのいけんにもいちりなくもない。 karenoikennimoichirinakumonai。 | There's not nothing to his opinion — it does have a point. |
| 少し疲れが残っていなくもない。 | すこしつかれがのこっていなくもない。 sukoshitsukareganokotteinakumonai。 | It's not that I have no fatigue left — I'm a little tired. |
| 行きたくなくもないが、時間がない。 | いきたくなくもないが、じかんがない。 ikitakunakumonaiga、jikanganai。 | It's not that I don't want to go, but I don't have the time. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
なくもない is a deliberately vague, hedging double negative — it reads as wishy-washy on purpose; if you mean a clear, confident “yes, somewhat,” plain 少し〜ある is more direct and less roundabout.