← Grammar bank

Formation: V-て form + やまない (emotion verbs: 願う, 祈る, 愛する, 望む, 期待する, 尊敬する etc.); V-て + やまない + N

Expresses a strong, lasting feeling such as hope, love, prayer or respect that never fades. It is used only with emotion verbs. It is formal and is typical of speeches, greetings, letters and written prose, and the polite form 〜てやみません is a set phrase in formal wishes. In a statement, it usually expresses the speaker's own feeling. Before a noun, as in 彼が愛してやまない故郷, it can describe someone else's devotion. 〜てならない and 〜てたまらない describe feelings that well up on their own, often unpleasant ones, and they also attach to adjectives. てやまない expresses a sincere, deliberate and usually positive sentiment.

Variants: てやみません、てやまなかった、てやまない + N

Examples

• 皆様のご健康とご多幸を心より願ってやみません。
  I sincerely wish you all good health and every happiness.
• 被災地の一日も早い復興を祈ってやまない。
  We pray earnestly for the swift recovery of the disaster-hit areas.
• 彼が生涯愛してやまなかった故郷の海を訪ねた。
  I visited the sea of his hometown, which he loved dearly all his life.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

No post has used this pattern yet. Examples from real texts will appear here.