を禁じ得ない (wo-kinjienai): Cannot suppress; cannot help feeling
～を禁じ得ない (wo-kinjienai)
Meaning
Cannot suppress; cannot help feeling
Formation and usage
emotion N + を禁じ得ない
Notation: N = noun; V dictionary = dictionary-form verb; V stem = the stem before ます; plain clause = plain-form clause; negative stem = the form before ない. Follow the attachment shown above.
Explanation
Describes an involuntary emotion such as sympathy or surprise, not ordinary practical ability.
Examples
彼が一人で会議を準備したと聞き、驚きを禁じ得なかった。
I could not suppress my surprise on hearing he had prepared for the meeting alone.
彼が一人で試験を準備したと聞き、驚きを禁じ得なかった。
I could not suppress my surprise on hearing he had prepared for the exam alone.
彼が一人で研修を準備したと聞き、驚きを禁じ得なかった。
I could not suppress my surprise on hearing he had prepared for the training session alone.
彼が一人で発表会を準備したと聞き、驚きを禁じ得なかった。
I could not suppress my surprise on hearing he had prepared for the presentation event alone.
彼が一人で面接を準備したと聞き、驚きを禁じ得なかった。
I could not suppress my surprise on hearing he had prepared for the interview alone.
How related patterns differ
に堪える can mean worth viewing or able to withstand; に堪えない can express overwhelming emotion with an emotion noun. に忍びない means having no heart to act. を禁じ得ない cannot suppress a feeling; ないではおかない predicts an inevitable effect, and てはかなわない complains of an unbearable situation.