How to Say ‘(it) doesn’t come out / doesn’t run’ in Japanese
出ません
de mase n
[deh mah-seh n]
💬 Usage Tip: [出ません] is the polite negative of [出る]. It’s used for things that “come out/run,” like water, gas, even the train “departing.”
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese troubleshooting talk often centers on whether something [出る]/[出ない] (runs/doesn’t run). Simple and useful for repairs.
Phrase Breakdown
出
de
[deh]
come out; be produced (stem)
Verb stem meaning “to come out/appear.” With ません, it becomes a polite negative: “doesn’t come out.”
お湯が出ません。
The hot water won’t come out.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
(part of) polite negative form
Used in 〜ません to make a polite negative statement (e.g., 出ません = does not come out).
蛇口からお湯が出ません。
Hot water doesn’t come out of the tap.
ん
n
[n]
(part of) polite negative ending
Final sound of ません. Together it makes the polite negative ending feel complete.
シャワーからお湯が出ません。
Hot water doesn’t come out of the shower.
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