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N3

わけがない

There is no way, There is no reason, It is impossible, Cannot be

このアパートは線路せんろの隣となりにあるから静しずかなわけがない。

This apartment is next to the train track, so there is no way it is quiet.

Explanation

「わけがない」 means 'there's no way' or 'it can't be'. Based on common sense, evidence or a rule, the speaker is 100% sure this cannot be true. It is the strongest negative of the 「わけ」 family, and sounds firm. In speech: 「わけない」, and the even stronger 「わけっこない」. It follows the plain form (na-adjective+な, noun+の): 「できるわけがない」 (There's no way he can do it).

Mixed up with

「わけがない」 and 「はずがない」 both mean 'impossible' and often swap. 「はずがない」 leans on the speaker's own reasoning, while 「わけがない」 stresses that logic absolutely does not allow it.

「できるわけがない」 is a total denial (can't possibly do it). 「できるわけではない」 is a partial denial (it doesn't mean everyone can). Exams love this pair as a trap.

「わけにはいかない」 means you want to but can't for moral or social reasons, unrelated to ability.

Examples

  1. あんな大だいニュース、知しらないわけがない。

    News that big? There's no way anyone doesn't know about it.

  2. 彼かれはいつも仕事しごとをしているから、暇ひまなわけがない。

    He's always working, so there's no way he has free time.

  3. 彼かれが嘘うそをつくわけがない。

    There is no way he would lie.

Tested 2 times in past papers

N1 · Jul 2025, Q35N2 · Jul 2011, Q43