〜ないでもない

Formality Level: Semi-formal / Formal — written and spoken formal contexts; careful speech; essays; indirect polite communication

Classical/Literary Origin: ないでもない is a double negative construction: ない (negative) + でも (even/also) + ない (negative). The literal parsing is "it is not the case that ~ is not possible/does not exist" — i.e., the negation of a negation, which produces a weak affirmative. This structure is closely related to 〜なくもない (also N1) and 〜ないこともない, all of which use double negation to produce a hedged, tentative positive statement. Japanese speakers often prefer indirect affirmations in formal or polite contexts to avoid sounding too direct or too committed.

Structure

Form	Example
Verb (ない-form) + でもない	分からないでもない
I-adj + くないでもない	難しくないでもない
Na-adj + じゃないでもない / ではないでもない	可能ではないでもない

Related patterns of the same family:

〜なくもない — slightly more formal, same hedged affirmative
〜ないこともない — slightly more explicit about possibility

All three are used for the same effect of cautious, indirect, partial affirmation.

Meaning

"Not entirely unable to ~," "could say that ~," "not without some ~," "I can see where you're coming from / I sort of ~"

The double negative produces a hedged, tentative positive that is softer and less committed than a direct affirmative. The speaker is acknowledging that something is possible, understandable, or true — but only partially or reluctantly. They are not fully endorsing the statement.

This is an important pragmatic tool in Japanese communication. Instead of saying "I understand" (分かる) — which may sound too full an agreement — a speaker who partially understands says 分からないでもない ("it's not that I don't understand," i.e., I can sort of see it). Instead of "it is possible" — which commits to possibility — せいぜい不可能ではないでもない hedges carefully.

Common contexts: giving a partial concession in argument (理解できないでもないが...), expressing tentative possibility (行けないでもない = I could perhaps go, I'm not saying it's impossible), or acknowledging someone's point without fully agreeing.

Example Sentences

Japanese	English
彼の言いたいことは分からないでもないが、やり方に問題がある。	I can sort of see what he is trying to say, but there is a problem with his approach.
確かに、そういう考え方も理解できないでもない。	To be sure, I can see where that kind of thinking is coming from.
難しい状況ではあるが、解決できないでもない。	It is a difficult situation, but it is not entirely unsolvable.
彼女の判断は間違っていないでもないが、状況を考えればやむを得なかった。	Her judgment was not entirely wrong, but given the circumstances it was unavoidable.
費用の面で懸念がないでもないが、メリットのほうが大きい。	It is not that there are no concerns about costs, but the benefits outweigh them.
そのアイデアに賛成しないでもないが、もう少し検討が必要だ。	I'm not entirely opposed to that idea, but more deliberation is needed.

Common Mistakes

Treating ないでもない as a strong affirmative: The double negative is deliberately weaker than a direct positive. ないでもない means "not entirely unable to" — not "definitely can." Overusing it where a direct positive is appropriate sounds evasive.
Confusing with ないでもなく (adverbial form): ないでもなく is the adverbial form connecting to another clause. ないでもない is the predicate (sentence-final or attributive) form. Both exist but function differently in a sentence.
Over-using for simple negations: ないでもない should express a hedged partial positive. Using it simply to soften any negative statement dilutes its specific pragmatic function.

Compare With

Pattern	Register	Meaning	Key Difference
〜ないでもない	Semi-formal/Formal	Not entirely unable to (hedged positive)	Double negative; tentative partial agreement
〜なくもない	Formal/Semi-formal	Not without some ~	Close synonym; slightly more formal/literary
〜ないこともない	Semi-formal	Not without the possibility of ~	Slightly more explicit about possibility; close synonym
〜かもしれない	All registers	Might, may	Simple epistemic possibility; no hedged-concession nuance
〜とも言えなくもない	Formal	One could also say ~	Extended double-negative for a stated proposition; very hedged