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N2

ようがない・ようもない

There's no way to, It's impossible to

車くるまも自転車じてんしゃも壊こわれているので買かい物ものに行いきようがない。

Because my car and bicycle are broken, there is no way for me to go shopping.

Explanation

「ようがない」 means 'even if I wanted to, there is no way to', because the method, clue or condition is missing. It attaches to the verb stem: 「連絡先を知らないから、連絡のしようがない」 (I don't know the contact details, so I can't reach them), 「ここまで壊れたら、直しようがない」 (Once it's this broken, it can't be fixed). With nouns: 「noun+のしようがない」. 「ようもない」 is stronger.

Mixed up with

「ようがない」: no means or conditions, so you can't do it even if you want to; a feeling of helplessness.

「できない」: simply cannot; could be lack of ability or a rule against it.

「わけがない」: impossible by common sense.

Examples

  1. パソコンが車くるまにひかれて粉々こなごなになったため直なおしようがない。

    It's impossible to fix my computer because it was run over by a car and smashed to pieces.

  2. そんな支離滅裂しりめつれつな質問しつもん、回答かいとうのしようもない。

    It is impossible to answer such an incoherent question.

  3. 何なんとも言いいようがない味あじだ。

    There is no way to put this taste/flavor into words.

Tested 4 times in past papers

N2 · Dec 2021, Q39N1 · Jul 2016, Q39N1 · Dec 2012, Q32N2 · Dec 2010, Q38