〜ないことはない／ないこともない

〜ないことはない is a double negative: the negation of a negation, in other words a hedged AFFIRMATION — "it's not that… not…": 食べられないことはない (it's not that I can't eat it — I can, but reluctantly). The speaker admits the possibility, but with hesitation, conditions, or the sense of "only to that extent."

The variant 〜ないこともない is slightly softer, with nearly the same meaning: 今から行けば間に合わないこともない (if we go right now, it's not impossible to make it). Connection: verb or adjective in the ない-form + ことはない／こともない.

Because it's a noncommittal expression, this pattern is perfect when you don't want to refuse outright but don't want to promise firmly either. Compared with 〜わけではない ("it's not that…") — also a partial negation — ないことはない starts from a negative sentence and flips it, so the focus is on ADMITTING a small possibility, while わけではない aims to CORRECT an overreading.

Examples

• 辛(から)い料理(りょうり)も食(た)べられないことはないが、あまり好(す)きではない。

  It's not that I can't eat spicy food, but I don't like it much.

• 今(いま)から行(い)けば間(ま)に合(あ)わないこともない。

  If we go right now, it's not impossible to make it in time.

• お酒(さけ)は飲(の)まないことはないですが、月(つき)に一度(いちど)くらいです。

  It's not that I don't drink, but it's only about once a month.

Related patterns

• 〜ことはない
• 〜わけではない