| Subject | English | Japanese |
| gen. | exp a mere scholar, unable to practically use what he has learned | 論語読みの論語知らず |
| gen. | exp about to be cut off e.g. in a battle and unable to do anything | 俎の鯉 |
| gen. | exp about to be cut off e.g. in a battle and unable to do anything | 俎板の鯉 |
| law | be unable to | することができない (不可能; 罰金を完納することができない者; a person unable to pay the fine in full) |
| gen. | become unable to earn a living | 顎が干上がる |
| gen. | become unable to earn a living | あごが干上がる |
| gen. | being down e.g. with a cold and unable to continue | ダウン gai1 ichi1 (work) |
| gen. | exp yoji being in doubt and unable to decide | 狐疑逡巡 |
| gen. | exp adj-i being unable to keep a secret | 口がかるい |
| gen. | exp adj-i being unable to keep a secret | 口が軽い |
| gen. | n being unable to make up one's mind | 首鼠 |
| gen. | n yoji being unable to make up one's mind | 首鼠両端 |
| gen. | n being unable to pick up on the mood of a conversation | ＫＹ (e.g. A and B are complaining about C, and D joins the conversation praising C) |
| gen. | n being unable to read the situation | ＫＹ |
| obs. | n being unable to see the harvest moon because of rain | 雨月 |
| gen. | n vs being unable to take one's eyes | 釘づけ (from) |
| gen. | n vs being unable to take one's eyes | 釘付け (from) |
| law | n crime of sexual assault against somebody who is intoxicated, asleep or otherwise unable to consent or resist | 準強姦罪 |
| sumo. | n ozeki ranked wrestler unable to live up to the expectations of his rank | 九六 |
| rel., budd. | n person unable to follow Buddhist teachings | 劣機 |
| law | n sexual assault against somebody who is intoxicated, asleep or otherwise unable to consent or resist | 準強姦 |
| pejor. | someone who is unable to apply what they have read | 衣魚 |
| pejor. | someone who is unable to apply what they have read | 蠧魚 |
| pejor. | someone who is unable to apply what they have read | 紙魚 |
| gen. | n state of being unable to argue | ぎゃふん |
| gen. | suf v5u to be unable to ... | 煩う ichi1 esp. 患う |
| gen. | suf v1 uk to be unable to | 兼ねる ichi1 news1 nf23 |
| gen. | suf v5u to be unable to ... | 患う ichi1 news2 nf27 |
| proverb | exp to be unable to accomplish something because one has chosen the wrong method | 木に縁りて魚を求む from Mencius |
| proverb | exp to be unable to accomplish something because one has chosen the wrong method | 木に縁って魚を求む variant of 木に縁りて... |
| gen. | exp to be unable to act on an equal basis with | 頭があがらない |
| gen. | exp to be unable to act on an equal basis with | 頭が上がらない |
| gen. | v1 vt to be unable to be indifferent | 見兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 vt to be unable to be indifferent | 見かねる |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to bear something any longer | 堪り兼ねる |
| gen. | to be unable to continue | 息が切れる |
| gen. | v1 uk to be unable to do | 仕兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 uk to be unable to do | 致しかねる |
| gen. | v1 uk to be unable to do | 出来かねる |
| gen. | v1 uk to be unable to do | 出来兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 uk to be unable to do | 致し兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 uk to be unable to do | し兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to endure | 耐兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to endure | 堪えかねる |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to endure | 堪え兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 vt to be unable to just watch | 見兼ねる (without doing anything) |
| gen. | v1 vt to be unable to just watch | 見かねる (without doing anything) |
| gen. | v1 vt to be unable to let pass unnoticed | 見兼ねる |
| gen. | v1 vt to be unable to let pass unnoticed | 見かねる |
| gen. | exp vs-c to be unable to make up one's mind | 首鼠両端を持す |
| gen. | v5u to be unable to make up one's mind | 思い迷う |
| gen. | v5m vi to be unable to move | 立ちすくむ |
| gen. | v5m vi to be unable to move | 竦む (e.g. from surprise) |
| gen. | v5m vi to be unable to move | 立ち竦む |
| gen. | exp to be unable to pick up on the mood of a conversation | 空気を読めない (e.g. A and B are complaining about C, and D joins the conversation praising C) |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to put up with something any longer | 堪り兼ねる |
| gen. | exp v1 to be unable to put up with something anymore | 堪忍袋の緒が切れる |
| gen. | exp to be unable to read the situation | 空気を読めない |
| gen. | exp v5m to be unable to too frightened to run | 足が竦む |
| gen. | exp v5m to be unable to too frightened to run | 足がすくむ |
| gen. | exp v1 to be unable to sleep | 眼が冴える |
| gen. | exp v1 to be unable to sleep | 眼がさえる |
| gen. | exp v1 to be unable to sleep | 目がさえる |
| gen. | exp v1 to be unable to sleep | 目が冴える |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to stand | 耐兼ねる (something) |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to stand | 堪えかねる (something) |
| gen. | exp v5r to be unable to stand | 腰がぬける |
| gen. | exp v5r to be unable to stand | 腰が抜ける |
| gen. | v1 vi to be unable to stand | 堪え兼ねる (something) |
| gen. | to be unable to stand up due to fear or surprise | 腰抜かす |
| gen. | to be unable to stand up due to fear or surprise | 腰を抜かす |
| gen. | exp unable even to drive away the flies on one's own head | 頭の蠅も追えない (denoting a helpless person) |
| gen. | exp unable even to drive away the flies on one's own head | 頭の上の蠅も追えない (denoting a helpless person) |
| gen. | suf adj-i after the -masu stem of a verb unable to... | 得ない |
| gen. | exp unable to accomplish | 力及ばず |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to back out | 後に引けない |
| gen. | exp unable to be indifferent | 見るに見兼ねる |
| gen. | exp unable to be indifferent | 見るに見かねる |
| rel., budd. | unable to be saved by Buddha | 無縁 ichi1 news1 nf08 |
| gen. | exp unable to change one's course of action | 騎虎の勢い |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to clear away one's ill feeling | 遣る方ない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to clear away one's ill feeling | 遣るかた無い |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to clear away one's ill feeling | 遣るかたない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to clear away one's ill feeling | 遣る方無い |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to clear away one's ill feeling | やるかた無い |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to clear away one's ill feeling | やる方無い |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to clear away one's ill feeling | やる方ない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to compete with | 歯がたたない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to compete with | 歯が立たない |
| gen. | unable to comply | 応じられない |
| gen. | unable to comply | 従われない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to compromise | 後に引けない |
| gen. | exp uk unable to contain oneself | 居ても立っても居られない |
| gen. | exp uk unable to contain oneself | 居ても立ってもいられない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to cooperate | そりが合わない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to cooperate | 反りが合わない |
| gen. | unable to cope with one's responsibilities | 堪えない |
| gen. | adj-i unable to decline | 黙し難い |
| gen. | aux-v unable to do | 能わず |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to endure being somewhere a second longer | 居た堪らない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to endure being somewhere a second longer | 居たたまらない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to endure being somewhere a second longer | 居た堪れない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to endure being somewhere a second longer | 居たたまれない |
| gen. | adj-f unable to fight back tears | 涙塞き敢えず |
| gen. | exp unable to find adequate words | 意余って言葉足らず (e.g. to express feelings) |
| gen. | adj-i unable to finish | 遣り切れない (on time, etc.) |
| gen. | adj-i unable to finish | やり切れない ichi1 (on time, etc.) |
| gen. | adj-i uk unable to have one's way with | 侭ならない |
| gen. | adj-i uk unable to have one's way with | 儘ならない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to hit it off | そりが合わない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to hit it off | 反りが合わない |
| gen. | exp unable to just watch | 見るに見兼ねる (without doing anything) |
| gen. | exp unable to just watch | 見るに見かねる (without doing anything) |
| gen. | unable to keep body and soul together | 食えない |
| gen. | exp unable to let pass unnoticed | 見るに見兼ねる |
| gen. | exp unable to let pass unnoticed | 見るに見かねる |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to live up to one's claims | 口ほどにもない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to live up to one's claims | 口程にもない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to live up to one's claims | 口程にも無い |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to live up to one's claims | 口ほどにも無い |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to move | 動きが取れない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to pick up on the mood of a conversation | 空気が読めない (e.g. A and B are complaining about C, and D joins the conversation praising C) |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to pick up on the mood of a conversation | 空気読めない (e.g. A and B are complaining about C, and D joins the conversation praising C) |
| gen. | exp yoji unable to put one's mind at ease | 一喜一憂 news2 nf28 spec2 |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to read the situation | 空気が読めない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to read the situation | 空気読めない |
| gen. | exp adj-i uk unable to resist | で成らない |
| gen. | exp adj-i uk unable to resist | て成らない |
| gen. | adj-i unable to sleep well | 寝苦しい news2 nf38 spec2 |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stay | 居た堪れない (on) |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stay | 居たたまらない (on) |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stay | 居た堪らない (on) |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stay | 居たたまれない (on) |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stomach | 気に喰わない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stomach | 気にくわない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stomach | 気に食わない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to stop | 後に引けない |
| gen. | unable to support oneself | 食えない |
| gen. | exp adj-i uk unable to suppress | で成らない |
| gen. | exp adj-i uk unable to suppress | て成らない |
| gen. | exp unable to suppress one's emotions | 堪えない |
| gen. | exp unable to take one's eyes off of something | 目が離せない |
| slang | n unable to take thermally hot food | キャットタン |
| gen. | exp unable to tell apart | 区別が付かない |
| gen. | exp unable to tell apart | 区別がつかない |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to understand | 気が知れない (reason, motive, etc.) |
| gen. | adj-f unable to win | 勝たれぬ |
| gen. | exp adj-i unable to withdraw | 後に引けない |
| gen. | walk around being unable to settle down | バタつく |
| gen. | walk around being unable to settle down | ばたつく |