かなわない
Usually written in kana. Kanji spelling 敵わない
no match for; cannot compete with; not in the same league as; powerless against
JLPT N1 Common word
Meanings
I-adjective
no match for; cannot compete with; not in the same league as; powerless against- cannot stand; cannot bear; cannot put up with; unbearable; intolerable
Rare and archaic meanings (1)
- unable to do; cannot do; impossibleDated
Forms
| Plain | Polite | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | かなわない | かなわないです |
| Negative | かなわなくない | かなわなくないです |
| Past | かなわなかった | かなわなかったです |
| Past negative | かなわなくなかった | かなわなくなかったです |
| Te-form | かなわなくて |
|---|---|
| Conditional (ば) | かなわなければ |
| Conditional (たら) | かなわなかったら |
Example sentences
-
I am no match for him.
お前にはかなわないよ。
I'm no match for you.
-
The boredom is unbearable.
-
I cannot match her in enthusiasm.
-
No one excels him in English.
More examples (10)
-
I am no match for her in cooking.
-
No one equals him in intelligence.
-
Artificial leather can't compare with the real thing.
-
He is no match for me in tennis.
-
In cooking we cannot hold a candle to the Chinese.
-
Nobody compares with her in French.
-
Nobody is equal to this young woman in the field of music.
-
I realized that I couldn't beat him in math.
-
I'm no match for him when it comes to playing the piano.
-
When it comes to playing golf, you cannot beat him.