とても～ない

The pattern とても～ない uses とても with a negative verb or adjective to express that something is impossible, unbearable, or beyond one's ability. While とても in positive sentences means "very" (e.g., とてもおいしい = "very delicious"), when paired with a negative form it shifts meaning to "cannot possibly" or "not … at all."

Expressing impossibility

This is the most common usage – something is so extreme that the speaker cannot possibly do it or cope with it.

The pattern often appears with potential verb forms (～られる／～える) in the negative, emphasizing that something is beyond one's capacity.

Expressing strong negation with adjectives

とても～ない can also be used with negative adjectives to mean "not … at all" or "far from …."

Nuance

This pattern conveys a stronger sense of impossibility or extremeness than a simple negative. Compare:

• よめない読めない – I can't read it.
• とてもよめない読めない – I can't possibly read it. / There's no way I can read it.

It is used in both casual and polite speech. In more formal or literary contexts, とうてい can replace とても with a similar meaning but a more emphatic tone: