“〜uru / 〜enai”: Can / Cannot Possibly Happen (written) [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

“Ari-uru hanashi da” “Shinji-enai” — expressing that something is (theoretically) possible or impossible

「あり得る話だ」 — it's about whether such a thing can happen, not anyone's ability

The written possibility common in news and argument: 「それは十分あり得る話だ」 (that's a quite possible thing to happen) — 「〜得る（うる／える）・〜得ない（えない）」 = (theoretically) can happen／cannot happen, used to express “whether some event can, in principle, occur.” It's an objective, written expression of possibility, focused on “the existence of a possibility,” not “someone's ability.” This guide covers the readings, attachment, and the division of labor with 「かもしれない／かねない／られる」 all at once.

Core: it's about ‘the existence of a possibility,' not ‘ability'

「verb ます-stem ＋ 得る（うる／える）」 means “something can (in theory) happen”:

• 誰にでも起こり得るミスだ (a mistake anyone could make).
• そんなことはあり得ない (such a thing is impossible).
• 想定し得る最悪の事態 (the worst situation one can envision).

Feel: “(theoretically) can ～／cannot ～” — the core is “whether such a thing can happen” (an objective, theoretical possibility), not “whether someone has some skill.” So 「彼が来ることもあり得る」 is “his coming can happen,” not “he has the ability to come.” This is the biggest divide between 「得る」 and the ability-marking 「られる」: 得る = the possibility of an event happening; られる = a person's ability to do something.

Attachment, readings & forms

Example sentences

• 為替次第で、輸出は伸び得る。(Depending on exchange rates, exports can grow.) — objective possibility
• こんな初歩的なミスは、あってはならないが、起こり得る。(Such a basic mistake shouldn't happen, yet it can.)
• あの誠実な彼が嘘をつくなんて、あり得ない。(That honest man telling a lie — impossible.)
• 現状では、あらゆる可能性が考え得る。(As things stand, every possibility is conceivable.)
• 準備不足が原因で、あの失敗は起こり得たのだ。(Precisely due to insufficient prep, that failure could have happened.)

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① It's about ‘possibility' (objective), not ‘ability' (ability uses られる). This is 「得る」's most core point, and the one learners most often get wrong. 「得る」 states “whether such a thing can happen” (an objective, theoretical possibility), not “whether someone has this skill.” To say someone has the ability to do something, use 「られる (potential form)」: 泳げる (can swim — ability), 日本語が話せる (can speak Japanese — ability). To say something can happen, use 「得る」: 事故が起こり得る (an accident can happen — possibility), そう考え得る (one can think so — theoretically possible). Test: subject is “an event,” about “the possibility of happening” → 得る; subject is “a person,” about “the ability to do something” → られる (potential form). So 「あり得る (can be)」 is about “the possibility of existing／happening,” not anyone's ability.

② Attach the ます-stem, not the dictionary or て-form. The attachment is a common error point. Before 「得る」 comes a verb ます-stem (drop ます): 予想する→予想し (stem) ＋ 得る = 予想し得る (○), not 「予想する得る」 (× dictionary form) or 「予想して得る」 (× て-form). Likewise: 起こる→起こり得る, 考える→考え得る, あり得る (ある→あり). Mnemonic: (ます-stem) ＋ 得る = can ～.

③ The negative is 「得ない（えない）,」 and it negates 「得る」 itself. To express “cannot ～,” turn 「得る」 into the negative 「得ない（えない）,」 not negate the preceding verb. ✗ 起こらない得る／起こらないうる (negating the preceding verb, wrong) → ✓ 起こり得ない (= cannot happen, negating the very “can happen”). Since what's negated is “whether it's possible,” the negation lands on 「得る→得ない」: 信じ得ない (can't believe／impossible to believe), あり得ない (impossible). Note 「得ない」 is fixed as えない (not うない). Test: to say “cannot ～” → (stem) ＋ 得ない (えない), don't touch the preceding verb.

🔄 Compare with similar forms: 得る／かもしれない／かねない／られる

💡 Learning tip

「〜得る（うる／える）・〜得ない（えない）」 = (theoretically) can ～／cannot ～ — three points: ① it's about “the existence of a possibility” (objective), not “ability” — 「事故が起こり得る」 is “an accident can happen”; for ability use 〈られる〉; ② attach the ます-stem (起こり得る, not the dictionary/て-form); ③ the negative is 「得ない（えない）,」 negating 「得る」 itself (○起こり得ない, ✗起こらない得る). Plus the readings: affirmative 「得る」 reads うる／える (うる more written), but the negative 「得ない」 reads only えない, past 「得た」 only えた. This is a written, argumentative, formal expression of possibility, common in reports, commentary, academia, news; and 「あり得る／あり得ない」 is a high-frequency phrase even in everyday talk — to say “possible／impossible,” this set is the crispest. What it attaches to is mostly abstract, objective, analyzable verbs like 起こる・生じる・変わる・想定する・考える.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: What's the difference between 「起こり得る」 and 「起こられる」? Aren't both ‘possible'?

The difference is ‘the possibility of an event happening' vs ‘a person's ability,' the most fundamental divide between 「得る」 and 「られる.」 「〜得る」 = (some event) can happen (objective possibility): the subject is usually “an event, phenomenon,” about “whether such a thing can, in theory, happen”: 事故が起こり得る (an accident can happen — about “the possibility of happening”), 誤解が生じ得る (misunderstanding can arise), そんなことはあり得ない (such a thing is impossible). It objectively assesses the possibility of a thing, not involving “who has ability.” 「〜られる (potential form)」 = (a person) has the ability／means to do ～ (ability・potential): the subject is usually “a person,” about “whether someone can, is able to, do some action”: 彼は泳げる (he can swim — ability), 私は納豆が食べられる (I can eat natto — potential), ここから富士山が見られる (Mt. Fuji can be seen from here — circumstantial potential). Difference: 「得る」 states “the possibility of an event happening” (subject mostly an event); 「られる」 states “a person's ability／potential to do something” (subject mostly a person). Test: to say “such a thing can happen” → 得る; to say “someone can do something” → られる (potential form). E.g. 「地震はいつでも起こり得る (an earthquake can happen anytime — a thing's possibility)」 uses 得る; 「彼は3か国語が話せる (he can speak three languages — a person's ability)」 uses られる／potential. Don't use 「得る」 for ability (× 私は泳ぎ得る is unnatural) — for ability always use the potential form.

Q: 「得る」's readings are confusing — when do I read 「うる」 and when 「える」?

Grab one principle: the affirmative present 「得る」 reads 「うる」 or 「える,」 but the other inflections (negative・past・て-form) read only the え sound. In detail: ① affirmative present 「得る」 → うる or える, both fine: あり得る (ある＋うる／える both work), 起こり得る, 考え得る. Of these, 「うる」 is more written, weighty, formal (common in argumentative prose, news), 「える」 more colloquial, everyday (but both mean exactly the same, interchangeable). ② negative 「得ない」 → only えない (not うない): あり得ない (えない), 信じ得ない (えない) — the negative is fixed as the え sound. ③ past 「得た」 → only えた: 起こり得た (えた). ④ て-form 「得て」 → only えて: 起こり得て (えて). In other words, only the “affirmative present” has two readings 「うる／える」 (with うる more formal); once it becomes negative, past, or て-form, it's fixed as え. So 「あり得る」 can be read 「ありうる」 or 「ありえる」 (the former more formal), but 「あり得ない」 can only be 「ありえない.」 Practical mnemonic: 「得る」 = うる or える (うる more formal); 「得ない・得た・得て」 = always えない・えた・えて. The one you'll hear most in everyday talk is 「あり得ない (ありえない) = impossible／no way,」 fixed as えない — just remember that.

🖊️ Practice Quiz

Q1. 「誰にでも起こり___ミスだ。」(a mistake anyone could make)

(A) 得る　(B) かねる　(C) きれない　(D) っこない

Q2. What verb form comes before 「得る」?

(A) ます-stem　(B) Dictionary form　(C) ない-form　(D) て-form

Q3. What does 「あり得ない」 mean?

(A) Impossible

(B) Definitely will happen

(C) Might happen

(D) Already happened

Q4. What is the nuance of 「得る」?

(A) (Theoretically) possible — written, objective

(B) Have no choice but to

(C) Merely

(D) Although 〜, yet

Q5. Which connection is correct?

(A) 予想し得る結果だ。　(B) 予想する得る。

(C) 予想して得る。　(D) 予想得る。

Answer Key

1. (A) 得る ── anyone could make it (起こり得る).

2. (A) ます-stem ── ます-stem ＋ 得る.

3. (A) ── impossible.

4. (A) ── theoretically possible (written).

5. (A) ── 「予想し得る」 (ます-stem) is correct.