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    なりかね

    Grammar & Usage

    verb (compound, potential negative)
    neutral

    How it works

    This expression is formed by taking the stem of a verb (here, 'なり' from 'なる', meaning 'to become') and attaching 'かねる' (to be difficult to, to find it hard to, to hesitate to). It indicates that something has a strong possibility or risk of becoming a certain state or situation, often an undesirable one. It implies that the speaker or subject cannot easily prevent that outcome.

    Sample sentences

    その発言は誤解を招きかねない。

    Those remarks could easily lead to misunderstandings.

    無理なダイエットは健康を損ねかねない。

    An extreme diet could harm your health.

    この計画は、予算オーバーになりかねないリスクがある。

    This plan carries the risk of going over budget.

    Quick facts

    conjugation:The 'かねる' part conjugates like a regular ichidan verb (e.g., かねません, かねた, かねない). The full phrase 'なりかねる' is itself a verb. It's often seen in its negative potential form 'なりかねない' (narikanenai), meaning 'cannot help but become' or 'may easily become'.

    Mnemonic

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    Example

    その発言は誤解を招きかねない。

    Those remarks could easily lead to misunderstandings.

    無理なダイエットは健康を損ねかねない。

    An extreme diet could harm your health.

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