Difference between どうにかならない! and 仕方がない when used as an interjection


From what I've been seeing, the two have somewhat similar meanings when used
as interjections.




どうにもならない (not どうにかならない) and 仕方がない are similar like you say.

どうにもならない is however reserved for significant things as it conveys
irreversibility. E.g. the following is fine:

> 電気消すの忘れた  
>  仕方がないな

The following is odd because surely it's easy to go back and just switch it
off.

> 電気消すの忘れた  
>  どうにもならないな

The following is thus natural again:

> あー、家出る時電気消すの忘れた！もう飛行機あと５分で出るのに  
>  どうにもならないな

Because the situation _is_ irreversible.

Similarly, the following is natural:

> ごめん、名札書くときちょっと字汚くなっちゃった  
>  仕方ないな

But the following is almost provocational:

> ごめん、書くときちょっと字汚くなっちゃった  
>  どうにもならないな

(Because "Why is this person accusing me of some irreversible mistake, when it
just looks slightly bad?")

