Usage of わけにはいかない


According to what I know, わけにはいかない means that someone can't do something for
moral reason

> これは先生の本だから、君に貸すわけにはいかない This is my teacher's book so I can't lend it to you

But I just saw this conversation line and I can't see why they use this
grammar pattern

> (situation: someone is trying to make a doctor appointment so he's talking
> to 受付 which I'm going to assume is the receptionist of the hospital.)
> 突然ですが、今日診ていただくわけにはいかないでしょうか

If I said something like

  * 今日診ていただいていただけませんか

does it change the meaning or is it just a degree of politeness?




> According to what I know, わけにはいかない means that someone can't do something
> **_for moral reason_**.

That sounds rather simplistic. 「Verb + わけにはいかない」 can be used to say that one
cannot do something for other reasons as well such as **laws/rules, common
sense, judgement based on experience, sense of obligation** , etc.

The sentence:

> 「突然{とつぜん}ですが、今日診{きょうみ}ていただくわけにはいかないでしょうか。」

is a completely natural-sounding one that requests earnestly to see a doctor
on that day (rather than on the next). Perhaps, the speaker arrived at the
hospital a little too late for outpatient reception or something. It expresses
the speaker's distress and strong desire, knowing that the receptionist could
easily turn down the request.

As far as the phrase choice, this is in no way a 'normal' or 'neutral' way to
make a request. Had the speaker come to the hospital on time and/or with
everything s/he needed such as a referral letter, health insurance card, etc.,
s/he would have **_never_** said 「突然ですが、今日診ていただくわけにはいかないでしょうか。」.

Your sentence:

「今日診ていただけませんか。」 (You used いただく twice, so I deleted one.)

does **not** imply much of the distress I discussed above. You could use the
sentence, but it will not sound nearly as desperate as the one using
「わけにはいかない」.

> does it change the meaning or is it just a degree of politeness?

It changes the meaning as explained above. Politeness has little to nothing to
do with this. It is just how seriously and desperately you would sound
regarding your desire to see a doctor.




> According to what I know, わけにはいかない means that someone can't do something
> **_for moral reason_**.

That sounds rather simplistic. 「Verb + わけにはいかない」 can be used to say that one
cannot do something for other reasons as well such as **laws/rules, common
sense, judgement based on experience, sense of obligation** , etc.

The sentence:

> 「突然{とつぜん}ですが、今日診{きょうみ}ていただくわけにはいかないでしょうか。」

is a completely natural-sounding one that requests earnestly to see a doctor
on that day (rather than on the next). Perhaps, the speaker arrived at the
hospital a little too late for outpatient reception or something. It expresses
the speaker's distress and strong desire, knowing that the receptionist could
easily turn down the request.

As far as the phrase choice, this is in no way a 'normal' or 'neutral' way to
make a request. Had the speaker come to the hospital on time and/or with
everything s/he needed such as a referral letter, health insurance card, etc.,
s/he would have **_never_** said 「突然ですが、今日診ていただくわけにはいかないでしょうか。」.

Your sentence:

「今日診ていただけませんか。」 (You used いただく twice, so I deleted one.)

does **not** imply much of the distress I discussed above. You could use the
sentence, but it will not sound nearly as desperate as the one using
「わけにはいかない」.

> does it change the meaning or is it just a degree of politeness?

It changes the meaning as explained above. Politeness has little to nothing to
do with this. It is just how seriously and desperately you would sound
regarding your desire to see a doctor.

