Hi there, I had a question regarding Verb [ない]:
For the negative forms of verbs, it is in it’s most basic sense to “not” (insert verb). Example: 飲みません → to not drink.
But for the form of “not”, I’ve come to realize there are three subclasses of nuance to not:
- Don’t (usually not)
- Won’t (intentionally not)
- Can’t (unintentionally not)
Example: 飲みません – Can be interpreted as “I do not drink”, “I won’t drink” and “I can’t drink”. Other than blatant context, how do you tell the difference in a written text? Do I have this understood correctly, or am I missing something with this nuance of “not” for negative verb forms? I feel as though in a lot of instances it’s not easily apparent what the author or sentence is trying to convey.
I appreciate any insight. Thanks!