Explanation
Indicates an uncontrollable emotion or feeling; 'can’t help but', 'overwhelmingly'.
Formation
な-Adjective + でならない / い-Adjective (く) + てならない / Verb-て + ならない
Detailed explanation
The ～でならない grammar pattern expresses a very strong, often involuntary feeling—e.g., '不思議でならない' (it’s so mysterious I can’t help thinking about it), '残念でならない' (I’m so disappointed), '心配でならない' (I’m extremely worried).
Examples
Kare no engi ga subarashikute naranai.
I can’t help but be amazed at his wonderful performance.
Gōkaku happyō ga ki ni natte naranai.
I can’t stop worrying about the exam results.
Tomodachi ga hikkoshite shimatte, sabishikute naranai.
My friend moved away, and I feel unbearably lonely.
Hajimete no kaigai ryokō de, fuan de naranai.
It’s my first trip abroad, and I’m extremely anxious.
Practice
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.