てたまらない

てたまらない says a feeling or a sensation is so strong you can hardly bear it: "unbearably", "terribly", "dying to". It goes on the て-form: an い-adjective becomes 〜くて, a な-adjective takes で.

In a statement the feeling is the speaker's own. For someone else's, add らしい, ようだ or そうだ.

Dying to: 〜たくてたまらない

With 〜たい the pattern means "dying to". たい is an い-adjective, so it becomes たくて.

Feelings, not actions

The word in front has to be something that happens to you: an emotion, hunger, heat, an itch. A deliberate action does not fit, but wanting to do it does.

• × 勉強してたまらない → 勉強したくてたまらない

てたまらない, てしょうがない and てならない

All three mean "unbearably". てしょうがない is the most casual. てならない sounds formal and suits a thought or worry you can't shake, as in おもえて思えてならない. てたまらない sits between them and is the usual choice for heat, cold, pain and hunger.

Usage notes

These go beyond a feeling in the て-form.

たまらない on its own

Without a て-form in front, たまらない can mean "irresistible", for something good.

たまらん

In rough casual speech たまらない becomes たまらん.