When you want to express that you can't stand a certain feeling, or that a feeling is so strong it's almost unbearable, you can use the grammar pattern ～てたまらない (~te tamaranai). This is a really useful phrase for emphasizing how intensely you are feeling something.
You attach ～てたまらない to the て-form of a verb or an adjective. For example, if you're really hot, you might say 暑くてたまらない (atsukute tamaranai), meaning "I'm so hot I can't stand it."
It often conveys a sense of being overwhelmed by an emotion or physical sensation. Think of it as saying "it's so [feeling] that I can't bear it."
This expression is commonly used for both positive and negative feelings, but it's particularly effective for those strong, almost uncontrollable emotions like loneliness, hunger, or excitement.
When you encounter the Japanese grammar pattern 〜てたまらない, it signifies an intense, almost unbearable emotional state. It's often used when a feeling is so strong that you literally 'can't stand it' or 'can't help but feel' it. Think of it as a way to express that an emotion has reached a peak intensity, making it difficult to endure or control.
This phrase is commonly paired with adjectives describing feelings or sensations, like samukute tamaranai (so cold I can't stand it) or nemukute tamaranai (so sleepy I can't stand it). It emphasizes that the speaker is overwhelmed by the feeling. You'll find this pattern useful for conveying very strong personal reactions.
§ What it means and when to use it
The Japanese expression ～てたまらない (te tamaranai) is a really useful phrase for conveying strong, often uncontrollable feelings. It literally means something like 'can't stand it' or 'unbearable,' but it's used to express that you feel an emotion so intensely that it's almost overwhelming. Think of it as saying you're 'extremely [feeling]' or 'so [feeling] that you can't bear it.'
You'll typically use ～てたまらない when you want to emphasize the degree of an emotion, especially when that emotion is difficult to suppress or control. It's often used with feelings that are a bit negative or troublesome, like loneliness, sadness, worry, or hunger. However, it can also be used with positive feelings like happiness or excitement, though perhaps less frequently in everyday conversation. The key is the intensity – it's not just 'a little' happy or 'somewhat' lonely, it's 'so happy I can barely contain myself' or 'so lonely it's agonizing.'
Here are some common scenarios where ～てたまらない fits perfectly:
- When you're really, really hungry: Instead of just
お腹が空いた (Onaka ga suita - I'm hungry), you can sayお腹が空いてたまらない (Onaka ga suite tamaranai)to express that you're starving. - When you miss someone terribly: If you miss your family a lot, you could say
家族に会いたくてたまらない (Kazoku ni aitakute tamaranai). - When you're incredibly worried: For example, if you're worried about an exam, you might say
試験が心配でたまらない (Shiken ga shinpai de tamaranai). - When something is so cute you can't handle it: Though less common, you could even use it for something overwhelmingly positive like
可愛くてたまらない (Kawakute tamaranai).
The structure is quite straightforward: you take the te-form of a verb or an i-adjective, or combine a na-adjective/noun with で (de), and then add たまらない (tamaranai). Let's look at some examples to make this clearer.
- DEFINITION
- ～てたまらない indicates an intense, almost unbearable feeling. It's used to express that an emotion is so strong that it's difficult to control or suppress. It can be translated as 'can't stand it,' 'extremely [feeling],' 'so [feeling] that I can't bear it,' or 'overwhelmed by [feeling].'
新しいゲームが欲しくてたまらない。
Translation hint: I want the new game so badly (I can't stand not having it).
暑くてたまらないので、エアコンをつけました。
Translation hint: It was so hot (I couldn't stand it), so I turned on the air conditioner.
遠距離恋愛で、彼女に会いたくてたまらない。
Translation hint: In a long-distance relationship, I miss my girlfriend terribly (I can't stand not seeing her).
In essence, ～てたまらない is your go-to phrase when you want to express that an emotion is not just present, but overwhelmingly so. It adds a powerful layer of meaning to your expressions of feeling in Japanese.
발음 가이드
- Mispronouncing the 'u' in 'tamaranai' as a long vowel instead of a short, almost silent one.
난이도
The kanji for 堪らない (tamaranai) is common, but often written in hiragana. The structure is straightforward.
Constructing sentences with this pattern is simple once the formation rules are understood.
Easy to pronounce and naturally fits into expressive speech.
The phrase is distinct and clearly conveys strong emotion.
다음에 무엇을 배울까
선수 학습
다음에 배울 것
고급
수준별 예문
お腹が空いてたまらない。
I'm so hungry I can't stand it.
新しいゲームが欲しくてたまらない。
I want the new game so badly I can't stand it.
寒くてたまらないので、早く家に入りたい。
It's so cold I can't stand it, so I want to go home quickly.
眠くてたまらない、もう寝よう。
I'm so sleepy I can't stand it, let's go to sleep now.
暑くてたまらないから、エアコンをつけよう。
It's so hot I can't stand it, let's turn on the air conditioner.
会いたくてたまらない。
I miss you so much I can't stand it.
疲れてたまらない、少し休みたい。
I'm so tired I can't stand it, I want to rest a bit.
心配でたまらない。
I'm extremely worried.
毎日残業続きで、疲れてたまらない。
Every day I'm working overtime, and I'm extremely tired.
待ち合わせに遅れて、彼はやきもきしてたまらない様子だった。
He was late for the meeting, and he looked extremely anxious.
長年の夢が叶って、嬉しくてたまらない。
My long-held dream came true, and I'm incredibly happy.
新しいゲームが面白くてたまらないので、夜遅くまでやってしまう。
The new game is so fun that I can't stop playing it until late at night.
テストの結果が悪くて、悔しくてたまらない。
The test results were bad, and I'm extremely frustrated.
最近、運動不足で体がなまってたまらない。
Recently, I haven't been exercising enough, and my body feels incredibly sluggish.
可愛い子猫を見たら、抱きしめたくてたまらない気持ちになった。
When I saw the cute kitten, I felt an overwhelming desire to hug it.
旅行中に財布をなくしてしまい、困ってたまらない状況だ。
I lost my wallet during my trip, and I'm in an extremely difficult situation.
자주 쓰는 조합
자주 쓰는 구문
新しいゲームが発売されるのが待ち遠しくてたまらない。
I can't wait for the new game to be released.
プレゼントをもらって、うれしくてたまらない。
I'm extremely happy to receive a present.
試験に落ちてしまって、悲しくてたまらない。
I failed the exam, and I'm extremely sad.
練習したのに勝てなくて、悔しくてたまらない。
I practiced, but I couldn't win, and I'm extremely frustrated.
子供のことが心配でたまらない。
I'm extremely worried about my child.
約束を破られて、腹が立ってたまらない。
My promise was broken, and I'm extremely angry.
徹夜したので、眠くてたまらない。
I pulled an all-nighter, so I'm extremely sleepy.
今日は35度もあって、暑くてたまらない。
It's 35 degrees today, and it's extremely hot.
暖房がなくて、寒くてたまらない。
There's no heating, and I'm extremely cold.
あのバッグが欲しくてたまらない。
I desperately want that bag.
문법 패턴
문장 패턴
Verbて + たまらない
新しいゲームが楽しみでたまらない。 (I can't wait for the new game; lit. new game is enjoyable and unbearable)
い-Adjectiveくて + たまらない
今日は暑くてたまらない。 (Today is unbearably hot.)
な-Adjectiveで + たまらない
彼女に会いたくてたまらない。 (I miss her terribly; lit. want to meet her and unbearable.)
Nounで + たまらない
仕事が山積みでストレスがたまってたまらない。 (Work is piled up, and my stress is unbearable.)
〜てたまらない + と思う
早く週末にならないかと待ち遠しくてたまらないと思う。 (I think I can't wait for the weekend to come soon.)
〜てたまらない + 状況
痒くてたまらない状況で集中できない。 (I can't concentrate in this unbearably itchy situation.)
〜てたまらない + のだ
彼に自分の気持ちを伝えられなくて、悔しくてたまらないのだ。 (I couldn't tell him how I feel, and it's just so frustrating.)
〜てたまらない + という気持ち
故郷が恋しくてたまらないという気持ちが、募るばかりです。 (My feeling of missing my hometown unbearably just keeps growing.)
어휘 가족
명사
동사
셀프 테스트 42 질문
Choose the best phrase to complete the sentence: 夏にアイスクリームを食べるのは＿＿＿＿。
「楽しくてたまらない」 (tanoshikute tamaranai) means 'unbearably fun' or 'can't stand how fun it is', which fits the context of eating ice cream in summer.
Which sentence correctly uses 「〜てたまらない」?
「寂しくてたまらない」 (samishikute tamaranai) correctly expresses 'can't stand being lonely' or 'extremely lonely'. The other options have grammatical errors with the conjugation of the adjective.
A: 昨日のパーティーはどうでしたか？ B: とても＿＿＿＿。
「賑やかでたまらない」 (nigiyaka de tamaranai) means 'unbearably lively' or 'extremely lively', which is a suitable response for a party. The other options are grammatically incorrect or don't convey the intended meaning.
「疲れてたまらない」 means 'I'm extremely tired' or 'I can't stand being tired'.
「疲れてたまらない」 (tsukarete tamaranai) accurately translates to 'I'm extremely tired' or 'I can't stand being tired', as 〜てたまらない expresses an unbearable or extreme feeling.
「〜てたまらない」 can be used with any verb to express an extreme action.
「〜てたまらない」 is typically used with adjectives (like 嬉しい, 悲しい, 暑い, 寒い) or certain verbs that express feelings or states (like 好き, 欲しい), not just any verb.
You can use 「〜てたまらない」 to say 'I can't stand eating natto'.
If you express 'I can't stand natto' as a strong dislike, using 「納豆が嫌いでたまらない」 (nattō ga kirai de tamaranai - I hate natto so much I can't stand it) is a correct way to use it.
It's unbearably hot, so may I open the window?
I'm extremely excited about the new game.
I can't stop worrying about my exam results.
Read this aloud:
お腹が空いてたまらない。
Focus: o-na-ka ga su-i-te ta-ma-ra-nai
당신의 답변:
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Read this aloud:
猫が可愛くてたまらない。
Focus: ne-ko ga ka-wa-i-ku-te ta-ma-ra-nai
당신의 답변:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
疲れてたまらないから、少し休みたい。
Focus: tsu-ka-re-te ta-ma-ra-nai ka-ra, su-ko-shi ya-su-mi-tai
당신의 답변:
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暑くて、喉が渇い___。
The speaker is extremely thirsty due to the heat, an unbearable feeling.
新しいゲームが面白く___、夜も眠れませんでした。
The new game was so interesting that the speaker couldn't sleep, indicating an overwhelming feeling.
彼は、試験の結果が気に___ようです。
He is extremely worried about the exam results, an unbearable concern.
遠くに住む家族に会いたく___。
The speaker strongly desires to see their family, an intense longing.
お腹が空い___、何か食べたいです。
The speaker is extremely hungry and wants to eat, expressing an urgent need.
彼女の笑顔を見ると、嬉しく___。
Seeing her smile makes the speaker extremely happy, an overwhelming joy.
Choose the sentence where 「〜てたまらない」 is used correctly.
「〜てたまらない」 expresses an unbearable or extreme feeling. In this sentence, 'cold' is an unbearable feeling. The other options use 'たまらない' but the nuance is slightly off for 'unbearable' when describing a book being interesting, a gift being received, or a game being released. While those feelings can be strong, '寒くてたまらない' most accurately conveys the 'can't stand it' meaning.
Which of the following emotions can be used with 「〜てたまらない」?
「〜てたまらない」 is typically used with feelings that are difficult to endure or are overwhelmingly strong, often negative, or positive feelings that are almost overwhelming. '退屈' (boredom) fits this perfectly. While '幸せ' (happiness) and '喜び' (joy) can be intense, the phrase 'たまらない' (can't stand it) more naturally applies to negative or overwhelmingly strong, almost painful, positive feelings. '怒り' (anger) can be strong, but '怒ってたまらない' is less common than other expressions of intense anger.
Select the best translation for 「お腹が空いてたまらない」.
「お腹が空いてたまらない」 means 'I'm so hungry I can't stand it' or 'I'm extremely hungry.' The 'たまらない' part emphasizes the intensity of the hunger.
「〜てたまらない」 can be used with any adjective to show a strong feeling.
While it indicates a strong feeling, it's generally used with adjectives or verbs expressing feelings that are difficult to endure or are overwhelmingly intense, often negative ones. It's not suitable for all adjectives.
You can use 「〜てたまらない」 to express an unbearable positive feeling, like extreme joy.
While often used for negative feelings, 「〜てたまらない」 can also express overwhelmingly strong positive feelings, such as extreme joy or excitement, to the point of being almost unbearable.
「眠くてたまらない」 means 'I'm not sleepy at all.'
「眠くてたまらない」 means 'I'm so sleepy I can't stand it,' or 'I'm extremely sleepy.' It expresses an intense feeling of sleepiness.
You're feeling incredibly happy because you passed a difficult exam. Write a sentence expressing this using '〜てたまらない'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
難しい試験に合格できて、嬉しくてたまらない。
Describe a situation where you are extremely thirsty using '〜てたまらない'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
一日中歩き回ったので、喉が乾いてたまらない。
Imagine you haven't seen your family for a long time. Express how much you miss them using '〜てたまらない'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
長い間家族に会っていないので、会いたくてたまらない。
この文で、「早く始めたい気持ちでたまらなかった」は何を意味しますか？
Read this passage:
彼は新しいプロジェクトの責任者に任命され、期待と不安が入り混じって、早く始めたい気持ちでたまらなかった。
この文で、「早く始めたい気持ちでたまらなかった」は何を意味しますか？
「〜てたまらない」は、ある感情が非常に強いことを示す表現です。この場合、「早く始めたい気持ち」が非常に強いことを意味します。
「〜てたまらない」は、ある感情が非常に強いことを示す表現です。この場合、「早く始めたい気持ち」が非常に強いことを意味します。
子供たちは夏休みについてどのように感じていましたか？
Read this passage:
夏休みが近づいてきて、子供たちは旅行に行きたくてたまらないようだった。毎日、どこに行くか話し合っていた。
子供たちは夏休みについてどのように感じていましたか？
「旅行に行きたくてたまらない」は、旅行に行きたいという気持ちが非常に強いことを表しています。
「旅行に行きたくてたまらない」は、旅行に行きたいという気持ちが非常に強いことを表しています。
話し手はこのレストランの新しいメニューについてどう思っていますか？
Read this passage:
このレストランの新しいメニューはとても美味しくて、毎日食べたくてたまらない。特に、あのパスタは最高だ。
話し手はこのレストランの新しいメニューについてどう思っていますか？
「毎日食べたくてたまらない」は、毎日食べたいという気持ちが非常に強いことを示します。
「毎日食べたくてたまらない」は、毎日食べたいという気持ちが非常に強いことを示します。
暑くて、喉が渇いて＿＿＿。
The phrase 〜てたまらない expresses an unbearable feeling. Here, it conveys an extreme thirst due to the heat.
彼は新しいゲームが欲しくて＿＿＿。
This sentence means 'He wants the new game so badly he can't stand it,' indicating an intense desire.
お腹が空いて、もう＿＿＿。
Here, 〜てたまらない describes an extreme hunger that is unbearable.
彼女は彼に会いたくて＿＿＿。
This expresses an intense longing to see him, to the point of being unbearable.
試験の結果が気になって＿＿＿。
The speaker is extremely anxious about the exam results, an unbearable feeling.
その知らせを聞いて、嬉しくて＿＿＿。
Even positive extreme feelings can be expressed with 〜てたまらない. Here, it means 'I was so happy I couldn't stand it,' conveying overwhelming joy.
The new game is so exciting, I can't wait!
It's unbearably hot, please turn on the air conditioner.
I'm so in love with her, I can't stand it.
Read this aloud:
旅行の準備で忙しくてたまらない。
Focus: たまらない
당신의 답변:
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Read this aloud:
彼の不注意さに腹が立ってたまらない。
Focus: 腹が立ってたまらない
당신의 답변:
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Read this aloud:
子犬が可愛くてたまらない。
Focus: 可愛くてたまらない
당신의 답변:
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/ 42 correct
Perfect score!
관련 콘텐츠
emotions 관련 단어
ぼんやり
B1Vaguely; absentmindedly; dimly.
夢中
B1Absorption; engrossment; infatuation.
受け止める
B1To accept; to take; to grasp.
達成感
B1Sense of accomplishment.
ひしひしと
B1Acutely; keenly; strongly (feeling something).
適応する
B1To adapt; to adjust.
健気な
B2Brave, admirable, or plucky (especially of a weaker person).
感心な
B1Admirable; deserving admiration.
感心
B1Admiration, impression, or being impressed.
感心する
B1To be impressed; to admire.
