How to Say in Japanese?

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Monox D. I-Fly
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How to Say in Japanese?

Postby Monox D. I-Fly » Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:15 pm

How to say "It's not like I don't want to..." in Japanese?
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tuckamore
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Re: How to Say in Japanese?

Postby tuckamore » Wed Mar 08, 2017 8:47 pm

This is what I would say, but I cannot promise that this is correct or the best way. Double or triple negatives in Japanese can still make me pause. If anybody knows better, please correct what I've written.

Is hiragana is OK? I'll use the verb する, meaning 'to do', for the example -- where したくない means "I don't want to do". But, it can be replace by whatever it is you 'don't not want' to do. Like たべたくない for "I don't want to eat".

My first thought was:
したくないわけじゃない(んだけど)
But, as I was writing the above, I now think adding という better reflects the nuance of "like" from the English.
したくないというわけじゃない(んだけど)

Based on meaning alone, んだけど is not needed. But, in the situations I can imagine using a phrase like this, it seems more natural to me include it.
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Woodsei
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Re: How to Say in Japanese?

Postby Woodsei » Thu Mar 09, 2017 1:45 am

tuckamore wrote:This is what I would say, but I cannot promise that this is correct or the best way. Double or triple negatives in Japanese can still make me pause. If anybody knows better, please correct what I've written.

Is hiragana is OK? I'll use the verb する, meaning 'to do', for the example -- where したくない means "I don't want to do". But, it can be replace by whatever it is you 'don't not want' to do. Like たべたくない for "I don't want to eat".

My first thought was:
したくないわけじゃない(んだけど)
But, as I was writing the above, I now think adding という better reflects the nuance of "like" from the English.
したくないというわけじゃない(んだけど)

Based on meaning alone, んだけど is not needed. But, in the situations I can imagine using a phrase like this, it seems more natural to me include it.


I would say it like this, too, but it may not necessarily be the best way. A further contraction to the above sentence that would fit more casual situations, I guess。

したくないってわけじゃない(んですよ)。。。
ですけど。です also all fit depending on context.

Another more general way to respond in the same sense could be "It's not like that/that's not to say that..." そういう訳(わけ)じゃない、よ
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