Word
彼 は 勉強しない わけ で は ない が、 集中 が 苦手 だ。kare wa benkyoushinai wake de wa nai ga, shuuchuu ga nigate da.
Meaning
It’s not that he doesn’t study, but he’s not good at concentrating.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of kare wa benkyoushinai wake de wa nai ga, shuuchuu ga nigate da.
はwa
topic particle
勉強するbenkyousuru
to study
がga
subject particle
彼kare
he
Questions & Answers about kare wa benkyoushinai wake de wa nai ga, shuuchuu ga nigate da.
What does the pattern 〜わけではない mean here?
It means “it’s not the case that 〜” or “it’s not that 〜.” So 勉強しないわけではない = “it’s not that he doesn’t study.”
Why is there a で in わけではない?
It’s the continuative form of the copula だ. The negative of Xだ is Xではない (or colloquially Xじゃない). So わけだ → わけではない.
Can I say わけじゃない instead of わけではない?
Yes. わけじゃない is more casual. The meaning is the same; では is neutral/formal, じゃ is conversational.
Does the double negative 勉強しないわけではない mean “he studies”?
Yes, but with nuance. It implies he does study to some extent, while softening or qualifying the statement (e.g., “He does study, but…”). It often counters an assumption.
How is 勉強するわけではない different from 勉強しないわけではない?
- 勉強するわけではない: “It’s not (necessarily) the case that he studies.” Suggests he may not study (disclaims the positive).
- 勉強しないわけではない: “It’s not that he doesn’t study.” Suggests he does study somewhat (disclaims the negative). They point in opposite directions.
