そんな大金
たいきんを一
ひ人
とりで運
はこぶなんて、途中
とちゅうで奪
うばわれかねない。
Carryin’ that much cash by yourself? You might get jacked on the way.

Aight, so listen up. When you use 〜かねない (kanenai), you’re basically sayin’ that there’s a chance somethin’ bad could pop off. It ain’t a sure thing, but the possibility is there, hangin’ in the air like the smell of a snitch’s fear. It’s got that negative vibe, that “uh-oh” feelin’. You’re not sayin’ it will happen, but you’re sayin’ it could, and if it does, it’s gonna be trouble. Think of it as a warning, a heads-up that someone’s playin’ with fire and might just get burned. It’s all about a negative outcome that’s unfortunately possible.

Peep this. Using 〜かねない is like lookin’ at that one dude in the crew, “Snake Eyes” Sammy, who’s been spendin’ a little too much time chattin’ with the feds. You don’t know for sure he’s gonna rat you out, but based on how he’s actin’—sweatin’, avoidin’ eye contact, buyin’ fancy new kicks with no job—you think, “He just might.” That gut feeling, that possibility of betrayal that could lead to a whole world of hurt? That’s the soul of 〜かねない. It’s the “he might just sing to the cops” of Japanese grammar.

---

Check it, this is how you put the pieces together.

Verb Form	Example	Translation
Verb Stem + かねない	あいつはやりかねない。	That dude might just do it.
	彼 かれは秘密 ひみつを言 いいかねない。	He might spill the secret.
	戦争 せんそうが起 おこりかねない。	A war could break out.
	あの男 おとこは裏切 うらぎりかねない。	That man could betray us.

Alright, let’s break it down. This grammar is smooth, real simple to hook up. You take your verb, and you drop the ます (masu).

---

Here are some lines you might hear in the back alleys of Shinjuku.

あんなに挑発
ちょうはつしたら、彼
かれは怒
おこって殴
なぐりかねない。
If you provoke him that much, he might get pissed and throw hands.

偽札
にせさつだとバレたら、大
だい問題
もんだいになりかねない。
If they find out this money is counterfeit, it could turn into a huge problem.

あのファミリーは我々
われわれの縄張
なわばりを狙
ねらっている。油断
ゆだんすると全
すべてを失
うしないかねない。
That family is after our turf. If we let our guard down, we could lose everything.

締
しめ切
きりを守
まもらないと、ボスを怒
おこらせかねない。
If you don’t meet the deadline, you could really piss off the boss.

あのドライバーは運転
うんてんが荒
あらい。事故
じこを起
おこしかねない
That driver is reckless. He could cause an accident.

証拠
しょうこを残
のこしすぎだ。これでは警察
けいさつに足
あしがつきかねない。
You’re leaving too much evidence. The cops could trace it back to us at this rate.

あいつは口
くちが軽
かるいから、秘密
ひみつをばらしかねない。
He’s got a big mouth, so he might spill the beans.

ボスの機嫌
きげんが悪
わるいから、下手
へたをすれば殺
ころされかねない。
The boss is in a foul mood; one wrong move and you could get whacked.

あの男
おとこを信用
しんようするな。裏切
うらぎりかねないぞ。
Don’t trust that dude. He could double-cross you.

あの新人
しんじんはミスばかりする。重要
じゅうような仕事
しごとを任
まかせると、組織
そしきを危機
ききにさらし兼
かねない。
That rookie does nothing but screw up. If we give him an important job, he could put the whole organization at risk.

---

Aight, that’s the 4-1-1 on 〜かねない. Use it wisely, stay sharp, and don’t get caught slippin’.

Peace out, stay true.