~ないことはない
It's not that X isn't Y
About
The ~ないことはない pattern is used to express "It's not that X isn't Y", using a double negative.
ことはない can be used in combination with negative verbs, い-adjectives, as well as な-adjectives followed by じゃない or ではない.
E.g. 食べれないことはないと思うけど、やめたほうがいい。 "I don't think it's that you can't eat it, but you should stop (eating it)."
The ないこともない pattern is also possible and sounds less certain than its は variant.
E.g. 近くないこともないが、歩いて行くのは大変だ。 "It's not that it isn't close, but it's tough to walk there."
なくはない・なくもない are also possible and are more common in casual, spoken scenarios.
E.g. できなくはないけど、やりたくない。 "It's not that I can't do it, but I don't want to."
ことはなかった is also possible, and expresses "It wasn't that X wasn't Y", in the past tense.
E.g. あの映画は、面白くないこともなかったけど、次のは見なくてもいいかな。 "It wasn't that that movie wasn't interesting, but I don't think I need to see the next one."
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The ~ないことはない pattern is used to express "It's not that X isn't Y"
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ことはない can be used in combination with negative verbs, い-adjectives, as well as な-adjectives followed by じゃない or ではない
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The ないこともない pattern sounds less certain than its は variant
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なくはない・なくもない are more common in casual, spoken scenarios
Summary
Explained in
Example Sentences
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