~ものではない
〜mono dewa nai
JLPT N2 Neutral
Formation
Verb-dictionary form + ものではない
Expresses a strong negative suggestion or prohibition: 'should not', 'must not'.
When to use
A social/moral prohibition - "that's not the sort of thing one does" - rather than a hard rule.
Explanation
「~ものではない」 is used to indicate that something should not or must not be done. It often appears in written or formal contexts, meaning 'it is not proper to...' or 'you shouldn’t...'.
Example sentences
そんなことを言うものではありません。
You should not say such a thing.
Sonna koto o iu mono dewa arimasen.
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You should not raise your voice in public places.
Koukyou no ba de oogoe o dasu mono dewa nai.
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You must not tell his secret to other people.
Kare no himitsu o hoka no hito ni oshieru mono dewa arimasen.
安全な場所では遊んでいいが、危険なところで遊ぶものではない。
It's okay to play in safe places, but you should not play somewhere dangerous.
Anzen na basho de wa asonde ii ga, kiken na tokoro de asobu mono dewa nai.
Permission And Prohibition (May / Must Not)
- ~てはいけない〜te wa ikenaiN4Expresses prohibition; 'must not', 'cannot'.
- ~てはならない〜te wa naranaiN2Express prohibition; 'must not', 'cannot', 'should not'.
- ~べきではない〜beki dewa naiN2Express that an action should not be done; 'should not'…
- Verbる べからざる NounVerb-ru bekara zaru NounN1Used to express what should not be done; 'must not'…
- ~てもいい〜temo iiN4To give or ask permission; 'it's okay to', 'may', 'can'.
- Verbる べからず〜ru bekara zuN1Expresses the idea of 'must not do' or 'should not do'.
- ~差し支えない〜sashitsukaenaiN1Indicates no problem or obstacle; 'it’s fine if...'…
Corpus examples (53)
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This attempt has been less than a complete success.
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Love is never wasted.
一生懸命やったのはわかるが、それでも君の報告書は満足できるものではない。
I know you worked very hard on it, but still I'm not satisfied with your report.
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No matter how hard you may try, you won't succeed so easily.
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English cannot be mastered overnight.
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Craftsmanship isn't something that can be learned overnight.
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That secret can't be kept forever.
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You can't eat it just because it is nutritious.
戦争は決して地震や津波のような天変地異ではない。何の音沙汰もなく突然やってくるものではない。
War is not a natural disaster like an earthquake or a tsunami. It does not come without warning.
このことは彼等が他の諸国民と何も共通点がないことを意味するものではない。
This does not mean that they have nothing in common with other peoples.
彼の著書に出されているデータは科学的な観察に基づいたものではない。
The data presented in his book are not based on scientific observations.
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Philosophy is not a thing one can learn in six months.
戦争は軽々しくするものではないし、憲法を改正するのも「戦争したくてしょうがない」わけではない。
War isn't something to be done lightly, also changing the constitution isn't something that should be done because "I just really want to go to war".
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You should not judge a person by his appearance alone.
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A foreign language cannot be mastered in a year or so.
すなわち、言語というのは、私達が学んだり、教えられたりするものであって、本能的に知っているものではない。
That is to say, a language is something that we learn and are taught, not something that we know by instinct.
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I'm afraid this story is too adult for children to appreciate.
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His work won't bear close examination.
社会の秩序は自然から生じたものではない。社会の秩序は慣習の上に基礎付けられている。
Social order does not come from nature. It is founded on customs.
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There is no telling what will happen next.
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There is no knowing what will happen.
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This kind of thing doesn't occur very often.
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There is no telling what will happen tomorrow.
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His ironical remarks aren't directed at you.
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Your answer is far from satisfactory.