Meaning
〜得る (える) is a formal, written expression meaning "can possibly" or "is able to." It attaches to the masu-stem of verbs to indicate that something is feasible or likely to occur. The negative form 〜得ない means "cannot possibly" or "is not able to." This grammar focuses on situational possibility rather than personal ability.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 動詞（ます形） | 得る |
| 動詞（ます形） | 得ない |
Examples
-
この最新のシステムを工場が受け入れれば、商品の品質が向上しうる。
If the factory adopts this latest system, the product quality could improve. -
こんなこと、現実には起こりえないよ。
There's no way something like this could happen in reality. -
彼は、誠実でやさしい人なので、お金を盗むなんてあり得ない。きっと何かの間違いだよ。
He's an honest and kind person, so it's impossible he would steal money. It must be some kind of mistake.
Summary
- Use 〜得る/得ない to express situational possibility or feasibility in formal contexts
- Differs from potential form (〜られる/〜られない) which can express both ability and possibility
- Common in written language; the phrase ありえない (there's no way) is frequently used in conversation to express disbelief