〜ようにも〜ない

〜ようにも〜ない means "can't, however much you want to": you would do it, but something stands in the way. The same verb usually comes twice – first in the volitional form with にも, then in the negative potential.

The second verb is the potential, not the plain negative: the point is that you can't, not that you don't.

• × 帰ろうにも帰らない → 帰ろうにも帰れない

A する verb takes できない in the second half.

The obstacle is usually stated in the clause before, as in the examples above. The sentence sounds frustrated or resigned, where a plain できない just reports the fact.

Usage notes

These go beyond the verb repeated.

A different second half

The second half can name the obstacle instead of repeating the verb.

たくても〜ない

たくてもも〜ない says the same thing and is what you would normally say in conversation. 〜ようにも〜ない is more emphatic and sounds a little written.