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JLPT N3Emphasis

～てしょうがない／～てしかたがない— Unbearably So

Attaches to the て-form of an adjective or verb to express that a feeling or sensation is so strong it can't be helped or controlled ('extremely', 'unbearably'). Common with emotions and physical sensations (sleepy, hungry, worried). ～しょうがない is casual; ～しかたがない is slightly more formal.

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Pro lessonUNIT 45 · EMPHASIS

Structure · 形

[い-adj く-form て / な-adj で / Verb て-form] + しょうがない / しかたがない

Examples · 例文

  • 試験の結果が気になってしょうがない。

    Shiken no kekka ga ki ni natte shou ga nai.

    I can't stop worrying about the exam results.

    気になって (て-form) + しょうがない = the worry is uncontrollable

  • 今日は暑くてしかたがない。

    Kyou wa atsukute shikata ga nai.

    It's unbearably hot today.

    暑くて (て-form of 暑い) + しかたがない = extreme, can't-help-it heat

  • 新しいゲームがやりたくてしょうがない。

    Atarashii geemu ga yaritakute shou ga nai.

    I want to play the new game so badly I can't stand it.

    やりたくて (て-form of たい) + しょうがない = an overwhelming desire

Usage notes · 注意

  • Used mainly with spontaneous feelings and sensations, not deliberate actions.
  • ～しょうがない is conversational; ～しかたがない a touch more formal; ～てたまらない is a near-synonym.
  • The subject is usually the speaker's own emotion or sensation.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～てしょうがない／～てしかたがない is tested against.

vs～てたまらない

Nearly identical in meaning; ～てたまらない stresses that the feeling is barely endurable, while ～てしょうがない simply says it can't be helped.

vs～てならない

～てならない is more formal/written and used for spontaneous feelings and thoughts; ～てしょうがない is more everyday and physical.

More emphasis

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