JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N3 grammar · Chapter 21

～っこない

There is no chance it will happen

You’ll be able to strongly dismiss a possibility in casual conversation.

Illustration of the scene described by There is no way I can jump across such a wide river!
Read it first

こんなに広ひろい川かわ、跳とんで渡わたれっこないよ！

konna ni hiroi kawa, tonde watarekkonai yo!

What do you think this sentence means?

There is no way I can jump across such a wide river!

Why it means that

Strongly dismiss an impossible outcome

～っこない is a casual conversational pattern attached to the verb stem to express firm conviction that something is completely impossible ("there's no way that...", "definitely can't...").

Examples

こんなに長ながい本ほん、一日いちにちで読よめっこない。

konna ni nagai hon, ichinichi de yomekkonai.

There's no way I can read such a long book in one day.

そんな話はなし、誰だれも信しんじっこないよ。

sonna hanashi, dare mo shinjikkonai yo.

Nobody is ever going to believe a story like that.

How it is built

Attach っこない to the masu-stem

Drop ます from the polite verb form and attach っこない. It is predominantly used in spoken, informal contexts.

verb (masu-stem)+っこない
Example

今いまから走はしったって、次つぎの電車でんしゃに間まに合あいっこない。

ima kara hashittatte, tsugi no densha ni maniaikkonai.

Even if we run now, there is no way we can catch the next train.

Compare

～はずがない vs ～っこない

Both say something is impossible. ～はずがない is neutral and fine in writing. ～っこない is casual and strongly emotional, used only in conversation.

  • ～はずがない, there is no way (neutral)

    一日いちにちで終おわるはずがない。

    ichinichi de owaru hazu ga nai.

    There's no way it will be finished in one day.

    Calm; fine in writing.

  • ～っこない, no way! (casual)

    一日いちにちで終おわりっこないよ。

    ichinichi de owarikkonai yo.

    No way it'll be finished in one day!

    Casual and emphatic; speech only.

Examples

「この荷物にもつ、一人ひとりで運はこべる？」「こんなに重おもいの、運はこべっこないよ。」

"kono nimotsu, hitori de hakoberu?" "konna ni omoi no, hakobekkonai yo."

"Can you carry this luggage by yourself?" "Something this heavy? There’s no way I can carry it."

兄あには口くちが軽かるいから、秘密ひみつなんて守まもれっこないよ。

ani wa kuchi ga karui kara, himitsu nante mamorekkonai yo.

My brother can’t keep his mouth shut, so there’s no way he can keep a secret.

今いまから行いっても、コンサートのチケットなんて買かえっこないよ。もう全部ぜんぶ売うれちゃったって。

ima kara itte mo, konsaato no chiketto nante kaekkonai yo. mou zenbu urechatta tte.

Even if we go now, there’s no way we can buy concert tickets. I heard they’re all sold out already.

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