～かねない
〜kane nai
JLPT N2 Neutral
Formation
Verb-stem + かねない
Express the likelihood of a negative outcome or consequence.
When to use
"Might result in (a negative outcome)" - a warning about a possible bad consequence.
Explanation
The ～かねない grammar point is used to express the possibility or likelihood of a negative outcome or consequence, often used when there is concern about the result. It is typically used with verbs in their stem form and can be understood as 'might (have a bad result)'.
Example sentences
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He is so irresponsible that he might break his promise.
Kare wa amarini mo musekinin de, yakusoku o yaburi-kane nai.
-
If you don't pay attention, you might cause an accident.
Chūi shinai to, jiko o okoshi-kane nai.
このアプリはバグが多いので、クラッシュしかねない。
Since this app has many bugs, it might crash.
Kono apuri wa bagu ga ōi no de, kurasshu shi-kane nai.
-
She's so nervous that she might fail.
Kanojo wa kinchō shite iru no de, shippai shi-kane nai.
Risk Of (Might Lead To)
Corpus examples (15)
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He's capable of wickedness of any kind.
新しい調査では、６５歳以上の病院患者の診察記録には誤りが多く、重大な診察ミスにつながりかねない、ということです。
A new study suggests that hospital records for patients older than 65 are often incorrect, which may lead to serious treatment errors.
インフレを抑制しようとして金融政策に偏重すると、金融、したがって景気を必要以上に締め付けることになりかねない。
Excessive reliance on monetary policy in an attempt to curb inflation could unnecessarily constrain credit and hence business.
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A moment's hesitation may cost a pilot his life.
-
Scandal could expose the lie.
しかし贈り物をひけらかすことは、何も持ってこなかった客を当惑させることになりかねない。
But showing off the presents could embarrass the guests who did not bring one.
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This kind of magazine can do harm to young people.
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A fussy referee can ruin a bout.
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He is capable of deceiving others to get what he wants.
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The boy is capable of robbery.
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This could become a serious problem.
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The man is quite capable of telling lies.
-
He is capable of treachery.
冬に暖かい服装をしていないと、ひどいかぜをひくことになりかねない。
If you don't wear warm clothes in winter, it wouldn't be surprising if you caught a bad cold.
彼はそんなことをやりかねない。
He is capable of doing such a thing.