InitialJ
N3impossibilityinability

～ようがない (you ga nai) - No way to / Cannot

[Verb masu-stem] + ようがない

Quick answer

[Verb masu-stem] + ようがない means "No way to / Cannot / Impossible to". This N3 pattern appears often in everyday conversation. Examples and practice exercises are listed below.

Meaning

No way to / Cannot / Impossible to

Explanation

Expresses that there is no means or way to do something.

Examples

彼の連絡先が分からないので、連絡しようがない。
かれのれんらくさきがわからないので、れんらくしようがない。
I don't know his contact information, so there's no way to contact him.
彼—He連—to lead絡—Entwine先—Prior
証拠がないから、証明しようがない。
しょうこがないから、しょうめいしようがない。
There's no evidence, so there's no way to prove it.
明—Bright

Practice this grammar

[Verb masu-stem] + ようがない

Which sentence correctly uses "～ようがない (you ga nai) - No way to / Cannot"?

Vocabulary from these examples

彼HeN3連to leadN3明BrightN4絡EntwineN2先Prior彼He

Last updated Jul 4, 2026