cannot; be unable to bring oneself to

かねる attaches to a verb's masu-stem to politely express that one cannot do something, often for psychological or social reasons. It is a soft, formal refusal common in customer service. It does not take a plain negative.

Examples

• その件けんについては、お答こたえしかねます。

  Sono ken ni tsuite wa, okotae shikanemasu.

  Regarding that matter, I'm unable to answer.

• 彼かれの意見いけんには賛成さんせいしかねる。

  Kare no iken ni wa sansei shikaneru.

  I can't bring myself to agree with his opinion.

Vocabulary in these examples

• その that (+ noun)
• 答える to answer
• する to do
• 彼 he, him
• 意見 opinion
• 賛成 agreement, approval

Related patterns · Ability and inevitability

• 〜得る can; be possible to
• 〜かねない might (something bad); be capable of
• 〜がたい hard to; difficult to
• 〜ざるを得ない have no choice but to; cannot help but
• 〜ようがない there's no way to; cannot possibly