TAKOBOTO

hesitate to, cannot, hard to do
その点は賛成しかねる。/ I am unable to agree on that point.

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いいかねる

find it hard to say

たまりかねる

find it hard to bear (something any longer)

こんなこうかなおくりもの、いただきかねます。

I cannot accept such an expensive gift.

かのじょにほんとうのことをいいかねてかれはだまった

he found it hard to say the truth to her, and remained silent.

そのことについては、そくとうしかねます。

I find it hard to respond to that matter immediately

こういうじじょうですから、ざんねんながら、せっかくのごしょうたいをおうけいたしかねるのです。

As such is the case, I am sorry I can't accept your kind invitation.

そのてんはさんせいしかねる。

I cannot agree with you on that point

いちねんかんでろうひするはしたがねがいくらになるか、だれにもきめかねる。

No one can determine the amount of pin - money we waste in a year.

かのじょのたいどはしょうしょうはらにすえかねる。

I find her manner a little hard to take.

そのいけんにさんせいとはいいかねます。

I am unable to agree with that opinion.

そんなほうほうにはさんせいしかねる。

I can't approve such methods.

かみをもっとみじかくきろうかどうかきめかねている。

I can`t decide whether or not to cut my hair shorter.

きょうはせいてんだから、らいうがありかねる。

Today because the sunny weather,it's hard to rain storm.

ろうどうじょうけんのへんこうについてかいしゃからせつめいをうけたが、わたしはどうもなっとくしかねる。

I received an explanation from my Company about the changes in the working conditions, but I really hesitate to agree with them.

めんせつしけんではどんなしつもんがでるのかときかれたが、そのようなことをきかれてもちょっとこたえかねる。

In the oral examination, every question coming forth have been heard, but even if I heard the question, I hesitate a little to respond.

言いかねる
ii-kaneru
= i hestitate/don't want to say...
eg "I hesitate to say this, but please don't come to the party"

言い難い （　いいがたい ）
ii-gatai
= this is hard to say
eg "It's hard to say what he was thinking..."

dc

Verb-masu stem

言います ＞ 言いかねます 言いかねる

dc

Snake said >
this is just like a stronger version of [gatai] then?
e.g.
言い難い - hard to say
言い兼ねる - can't say (because it is so hard to)

but i guess, iigatai isn't a verb is it, it's more like an adjective.. how about 'iigatai ga suru' or something (k so i made that up but...^_^)

dc

ii-kaneru seems to have a particularly japanese feeling, something like "well, i don't really want to say that, but... (its true)".

Like, I hesitate to say this, but I must.

But hopefully a japanese native can clear up the difference some more.

dc

分かりーかねる was also explained as what people at depato stores are taught to say to customers. If someone asks "do you sell X" and you absolutely know you don't sell it, you cannot say that. No, instead it's far better to waste the customer's time and pretend to look for it, and then say "wakari-kaneru" so they don't know. Maybe then they might buy something else while waiting?

dc

いいかねる (not いい兼ねる) and 言い難い has different nuance. The former is subjective, in that you "hesitate to say" whereas the latter means "it is hard to say" and thus principally objective, even though in such expression as 必ずしも言い難い(not necessarily can be said) may not necessarily objective.

bamboo4

thanks! pls review "note" at top...

dc

言い難い is also read as いいにくい。this is more casual than 言いかねる。
こんなこと言いにくいのですが、パーティに来ないでくれませんか。:P

your name

Agree that 言いにくい is more casual in a situation such as こんなこと言いにくいのですが、パーティに来ないでくれませんか = I hesitate to say this, but please don't come to the party.

bamboo4

Formed from Verb -masu base + kaneru
Note that kaneru conjugates as a normal verb (e.g. かねた、かねます etc are possible)
Vm = Verb -masu base

Amatuka

From a native Japanese teacher I know that にくい is mostly for object characteristics and 難い is for human thinking. So the above comment is not really true.

kupokomapa

In casual conversation you'll hear いいにくい used all over the place. Learn both!

彼女に本当の事を言い かねて彼はだまった
He said nothing, it was too hard to tell her the truth.

一年間で浪費するはした金がいくらになるか、だれにも決めかねる。
No one can determine the amount of money wasted in a year.

slopethisway