Learn Hardcore Japanese: kigen ga asita de mo, dekinai wake de ha nai. - Even if the due date is tomorrow, it’s not that we can’t do it.

Here でも is concessive and means even if/even though. So 期限が明日でも means even if the deadline is tomorrow. It’s not the sentence-initial でも that means “but.”

Is the で in 明日で the “at/by means of” particle?

No. This で is the continuative form of the copula だ (think “being X”). 明日だ = “(it) is tomorrow,” and 明日で lets you attach も to make 明日でも = “even if it is tomorrow.” It’s not the instrumental で (“by/with/at”).

Why is it が after 期限 and not は?

が marks the subject/new information in the concessive clause: 期限が明日でも focuses on the fact that the deadline is tomorrow. You could say 期限は明日でも to topic-mark “the deadline,” adding a contrastive or “as for” nuance. Both are grammatical, with a subtle difference in focus.

Can I rephrase the first part as 明日が期限でも?

Yes. 明日が期限でも is equally natural and perhaps more idiomatic: “Even if tomorrow is the deadline.” It just flips the noun order while keeping the same meaning.

What nuance does できないわけではない add compared to a simple できる?

できないわけではない is a soft, double-negative: it’s not that (we) can’t do it. It implies qualified or reluctant possibility (e.g., doable but hard, costly, or with conditions). できる is a straightforward “can do,” which sounds more definite and confident.

What exactly is わけ doing in わけではない?

わけ literally means “reason” or “state of affairs,” and in this construction it functions as the case. X わけではない means it’s not the case that X. So できないわけではない = “it’s not the case that it cannot be done.”

Why is it ではない and not just じゃない?

ではない is the standard/neutral written form. じゃない is the colloquial contraction. So:

Plain casual: できないわけじゃない
Polite: できないわけではありません

How does できないわけではない differ from できるわけではない?

できないわけではない: “It’s not that (we) can’t do it” → suggests some level of ability.
できるわけではない: “It doesn’t mean (we) can do it” → casts doubt on ability. They point in opposite directions.

Is the subject “I,” “we,” or “it”? Who is doing the action?

Japanese drops obvious subjects. できない can mean “I can’t,” “we can’t,” or “it can’t be done,” depending on context. In many work contexts it reads as we or it (the task).

Does でも here mean “but,” like sentence-initial でも?

No. でも right after a noun (as in 明日でも) means even (if). Sentence-initial でも、 means but/however. Different usages.

Why is present tense used if we’re talking about tomorrow?

Japanese often uses non-past for general or near-future statements. The timing is clear from 明日. So non-past here comfortably covers a future situation.

Is the spacing in the original sentence normal?

No. Spaces are for learner clarity. In normal writing you’d see: 期限が明日でも、できないわけではない。

Could I use のに instead of でも? What changes?

〜のに is adversative (“even though/though”), often implying complaint or contradiction. 期限が明日なのに、できないわけではない would sound odd because the second clause isn’t contrasting negatively. でも gives a neutral concessive “even if,” which fits better here.

What’s the difference between 期限 and 締め切り?

期限: a time limit/expiry (formal, broad: payments, validity, contracts).
締め切り: a submission/closing deadline (applications, homework). Either could fit; 期限 sounds a bit more formal or general.

Why is there a は inside では?

では = で (copula continuative) + は (topic/contrast marker). In X わけではない, は marks X わけ as the contrasted topic: “As for it being the case that X—no.”

How strong is できないわけではない compared to できないわけがない?

できないわけではない: mild, hedged affirmative (“It’s not impossible; we can probably manage”).
できないわけがない: strong insistence (“There’s no way it can’t be done” = “We can definitely do it”). The が version is much stronger.

Could I add たとえ for emphasis?

Yes. たとえ期限が明日でも、できないわけではない。 adds “even if” emphasis (roughly “even if, hypothetically”).

Why not use に with 明日 (like 明日に)?

With the copula (“X is tomorrow”), Japanese uses the time expression directly: 試験は明日です, not ×明日にです. Here 明日でも is built from 明日だ + も via the continuative で. So に isn’t used.