we even cannot

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "we even cannot" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used to emphasize the inability to do something, but the correct form would be "we cannot even." Example: "In this situation, we cannot even begin to understand the challenges they face."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

We even cannot rule out a third fusion event, as Durkin et al. (2009) report the presence of MMDs in diatom CSs.

Genome Biology and Evolution

The extent of alternative splicing seen in cattle exceeds the number of published alternative transcripts in humans substantially, and we even cannot exclude that further splice variation is present in cattle.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"We didn't get any food support since we came, even I cannot go out for firewood because I can't leave the children behind.

Unicef

As we know, even Barbie cannot technically be Barbie in real life, as her body proportions are not anatomically possible.

Huffington Post

Even we cannot provide stimulus without limit, without a wary eye to inflation expectations.

The Guardian - Business

Even we cannot be together in the future, this is my own choice.

The Journal of Chinese Sociology

"When we leave burial places, we cannot even say it was AIDS.

The Economist

For how can we even think of recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian constitution when we cannot even recognise their diverse views?

The Guardian - Opinion

We probably don't pose a major threat, but we are swaying so heavily that we cannot even understand ourselves.

The New York Times

"Sometimes it feels like we are trying to halt what we cannot even see".

The New Yorker

We are in clear disadvantage because we cannot even compete--there are no positions created [for us], period".

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the standard construction "we cannot even" or "we can't even" for grammatical correctness and clarity. This ensures your writing is easily understood and avoids potential misinterpretations.

Common error

Avoid placing "even" between "we" and "cannot". The correct placement is after "cannot", as in "we cannot even". This simple adjustment significantly improves the grammatical correctness of the sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "we even cannot" aims to express an inability or impossibility, but its incorrect word order hinders effective communication. As Ludwig AI points out, standard English requires "we cannot even".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "we even cannot" attempts to express an inability, it is grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI highlights that the correct phrasing is "we cannot even". This correction ensures clarity and avoids potential misinterpretations. Though the phrase appears across different contexts like science, news, and formal communication, its incorrect structure makes it unsuitable for formal writing. It's recommended to use alternative phrases such as "we are unable to even" or "we can't even" for improved grammatical accuracy and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we cannot even

Corrects the word order to the standard and grammatically correct form.

we can't even

Uses the contraction "can't" for "cannot" and places "even" in the correct position.

we are unable to even

Replaces "cannot" with "are unable" and repositions "even" for improved flow.

we're unable to even

It's a contraction of "we are unable to even".

we are not even able to

Replaces "cannot" with "are not able" and repositions "even" for grammatical correctness.

we're not even able to

It's a contraction of "we are not even able to".

we aren't even

Uses the contraction "aren't" instead of "are not", maintaining a similar meaning but with a slightly more informal tone.

we're not even

It's a contraction of "we are not even".

it is not even possible for us to

Expands the phrase to emphasize the impossibility of the action, adding formality.

we do not even have the ability to

Rephrases to highlight a lack of ability, adding emphasis.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "we even cannot"?

The correct phrasing is "we cannot even". The word "even" should be placed after "cannot".

Can I use "we even cannot" in formal writing?

No, "we even cannot" is not grammatically correct and should not be used in formal writing. Use "we cannot even" instead.

What are some alternatives to "we cannot even"?

Alternatives include "we are unable to even", "we're not even able to", or "we can't even" depending on the context and desired level of formality.

Is "we even cannot" ever acceptable?

While occasionally found, especially in non-native English usage, "we even cannot" is generally considered incorrect. It's best to stick with the standard phrasing "we cannot even".