得うる

う

る

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

nidan verb with 'u' ending (archaic), suffix

can; be able to

Archaic suffix attached to the -masu stem of a verb to express potential. In modern Japanese, the potential form of the verb or ことができる is used instead. Still seen in formal or literary contexts.

古こ文ぶんでは「読よみ得うる」のように使つかわれた。
In classical Japanese, it was used like 読み得る (can read).
「あり得うる」は現げん代だいでも使つかわれる。
あり得る (can happen/be possible) is still used today.

nidan verb with 'u' ending (archaic), transitive verb

get; acquire; obtain

formal or literary

Formal or literary transitive verb meaning to obtain something. In everyday speech, 得る (える) is more common. Often used in written language or formal contexts.

Usage patterns

〈動どう詞し〉得うるcan possibly do 〈verb〉; it is conceivable that 〈verb〉 happens
その事じ故こは誰だれにでも起おこり得うる。
That kind of accident could happen to anyone.

Expressions· 8

しうるcan do; may do; be capable of doing
あり得うるpossible; conceivable; likely
なし得うるachievable; possible; doable
考かんがえ得うるconceivable; possible to think
耐たえ得うるcan withstand; can endure; able to bear

Show 3 more

変かわり得うるable to change; changeable; subject to change
得うるところがあるgain something; profit from; get benefit
漿しょうを乞こいて酒さけを得うるto get more than one requests; to beg for water and receive wine

Grammar

得うる・得えないcan, cannot (in principle)N2

Kanji

得gain, get, find

Related words

獲かく得とくN1sense 2
得る (うる) is a literary way to say 'obtain', while 獲得する emphasizes actively winning or acquiring something (like a prize or right) through effort.
取しゅ得とくN1sense 2
得る (うる) is a formal literary verb for 'get', while 取得する is the standard bureaucratic term for formally acquiring something like a license or qualification.

Opposites

失うしなうN3sense 2
得る (うる) means to obtain or gain something, while 失う means to lose it.

Don't confuse with

得えるN3
得る (うる) is the archaic, literary reading used in formal writing and fixed expressions like あり得る, while 得る (える) is the modern standard reading used in everyday speech for 'to get'.

Etymology

The kanji 得 means 'gain' or 'acquire'. The reading うる is the classical Japanese form, while える is the modern development. The suffix use derives from the verb meaning 'to be able to get', which grammaticalized into a potential auxiliary.