える

Also written 得る, 獲る

Meanings

1. Ichidan verb, Transitive to get; to earn; to acquire; to procure; to gain; to secure; to attain; to obtain; to win (獲る esp. refers to catching wild game, etc.)
2. to understand; to comprehend
3. to receive something undesirable (e.g. a punishment); to get (ill)
4. Auxiliary verb, Ichidan verb, Transitive to be able to ..., can ... (after the -masu stem of a verb) See also: 得ない (えない). See also: 得る (うる).

Example sentences

• 君の行動はまったく当をえていない。
  Your behavior is quite out of place.
• 我々は彼の勇気を尊敬せざるをえない。
  We cannot help respecting his courage.
• 我々は妥協せざるをえない。
  We have no choice but to compromise.
• 我々は計画を断念せざるをえなかった。
  We had to abandon our plan.
• 我々はやむをえず出発を延期した。
  We were compelled to put off our departure.

Common phrases

• ざるをえない
• 禁じえない (きんじえない) cannot help (laughing, feeling sympathy, etc.)

Words containing える

• 抱きかかえる (だきかかえる) to hold
• つのがえる horned frog (Ceratophrys spp.)
• 引き据える (ひきすえる) to (physically) force someone to sit down

And 12 more.

Word lists

• JLPT N3
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Jinuma: Japanese Dictionary · Word lists