You cannot stop yourself from feeling or thinking something. You just have to feel it.
Noun + を + 禁じ得ないPrimary
You cannot stop yourself from feeling or thinking something. You just have to feel it.
彼の不幸な身の上話を聞くと、同情を禁じ得ない。
When I hear the story of his unfortunate life, I can't help but feel sympathy.
被災地の惨状を目の当たりにし、憤りを禁じ得なかった。
Witnessing the devastation in the disaster-stricken area, I could not suppress my indignation.
理不尽な決定に怒りを禁じ得ないが、今は冷静に行動すべきだ。
I can't help but feel anger at the unreasonable decision, but for now, I should act calmly.
このままでは、国際社会からの孤立を招くという懸念を禁じ得ないのではないか。
If things continue like this, can't we not help but worry that it will lead to isolation from the international community?
昔のアルバムを見て、懐かしさに涙を禁じ得なかった。
Looking at an old album, I couldn't hold back tears of nostalgia.
NeutralPastAffirmativeSentence EndingDeclarativeFamily & RelationshipsEmotions & PsychologyDaily Life
This phrase sounds very formal. It is like something you would read in an old book. It shows your feelings just happen, and you cannot stop them.
This is for feelings you cannot control. It is very formal. '〜に堪えない' is also for strong feelings. But it can be about outside things. It can also be for good feelings, like being very thankful. '〜て（は）いられない' means you cannot keep doing something. '〜見るに見かねる' is only for when you cannot watch a bad situation. You must do something to help.
Don't use this when you are hungry or thirsty. For example, you cannot say 'I cannot help but eat.' This grammar is for feelings like anger or sadness. It is for your own feelings only.
Track your mastery
Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.