ずにはいられない | Can't Help Doing in Japanese

An Urge You Can't Resist

ずにはいられない says a feeling was too strong to hold back.

It describes an involuntary reaction, not a decision. Using it for something you chose sounds wrong.

Drop ない from the ない form and add ずにはいられない:

する is irregular: せず, not ×しず.

Identical in meaning, slightly more spoken. ずに is the written form of ないで, so the two patterns are the same construction in different registers.

Pattern	Sense
てしまう	it happened, and I regret it
ずにはいられない	I was unable to stop myself

One reports an outcome, the other an inability to resist.

Example Sentences

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Speed

おかしくて笑(わら)わずにはいられなかった。

It was so funny I couldn't help laughing.

あの話(はなし)を聞(き)くと泣(な)かずにはいられない。

I can't hear that story without crying.

一言(ひとこと)言(い)わずにはいられませんでした。

I couldn't stop myself from saying something.

心配(しんぱい)せずにはいられない。

I can't help worrying.

この絵(え)を見(み)ると感動(かんどう)せずにはいられません。

I can't look at this painting without being moved.

あまりの美(うつく)しさに見(み)とれずにはいられなかった。

It was so beautiful I couldn't help staring.

彼(かれ)の努力(どりょく)には感心(かんしん)せずにはいられない。

I can't help admiring his effort.

その知(し)らせに驚(おどろ)かずにはいられなかった。

I couldn't help being astonished at the news.