Hi! I’m studying the Sou Matome N2 grammar book, and these two items are listed as separate things but there is no explanation on what the difference is.
I searched online but I couldn’t find a satisfying answer, someone said that that ずにはいられない was more natural as a native speaker, but somewhere else it said that it was actually the opposite and ずにはいられない sounds formal-ish.
Plus, I came across this:
**試験の前だから、勉強し「a.ずには b.ないでは」いられません。**
I chose “a” but it was wrong. So there IS a difference, right? It’s not just to exchangeable ways to say the same thing.
If someone could clarify this to me I’d be so grateful, I don’t know if I’m just dumb and I don’t see it.
3 comments
You don’t say 勉強しず、勉強せず would be correct
I don’t know about interchangeability but a. is wrong because it needs to be 勉強**せ**ず.
This Japanese word is strange, in the first place.
試験の前だから, mean is “because it’s before the exam.”
Seems like that don’t want to do it.
So, next sentence should be 勉強しなければいけない。 “I have to study”
Not “I can’t help but study”
ないではいられない and ずにはいられない are a word used when something goes against one’s will or determination.
I’m sure, the person who set this exam must be bad at Japanese.