〜うる / 〜える — JLPT N2 Grammar
Learn 〜うる and 〜える to express logical possibility in formal academic, legal, and official Japanese writing.
Pattern
〜うる / 〜える / 〜得る (uru / eru / uri-uru)
Also written: 〜得る (kanji form, read うる or える)
Structure
- Verb (masu-stem) + うる / える
- Common form: 起こり得る (okori-uru), 考え得る (kangae-uru), あり得る (ari-uru/ari-eru)
- Negative: 〜得ない / あり得ない (cannot possibly)
Special case: ある → あり得る (arieri) = "can possibly exist/happen"
Formality Level
Formal/literary — primarily written Japanese. Common in academic papers, legal documents, policy writing, official announcements. 〜うる is more literary; 〜える is more standard in modern formal writing.
Not used in casual conversation (where できる or かもしれない are used instead).
Meaning
"Can possibly X," "it is possible that X," "X can occur/exist in principle." Expresses logical/theoretical possibility — the possibility that exists in principle, based on logic or evidence. This is distinct from:
- 〜できる: personal ability ("I can do X")
- 〜かもしれない: subjective guess ("maybe X")
- 〜うる: objective logical possibility ("X can exist/happen in principle")
The negative あり得ない (arienai) is very common in both formal and colloquial Japanese: "impossible," "that can't be."
Examples
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| このような事態は十分に起こり得る。 | このようなじたいはじゅうぶんにおこりうる。 | kono yō na jitai wa jūbun ni okori-uru. | Such a situation can quite possibly occur. |
| 考え得る最悪のシナリオを想定しておく。 | かんがえうるさいあくのシナリオをそうていしておく。 | kangae-uru saiaku no shinario o sōtei shite oku. | We assume the worst conceivable scenario. |
| その理論は現実には実現し得ない。 | そのりろんはげんじつにはじつげんしえない。 | sono riron wa genjitsu ni wa jitsugen shi enai. | That theory cannot be realized in reality. |
| あり得ない話だと思っていたが、実際に起きた。 | ありえないはなしだとおもっていたが、じっさいにおきた。 | arienai hanashi da to omotteita ga, jissai ni okita. | I thought it was an impossible story, but it actually happened. |
| 医療ミスは最良の環境でも起こり得る。 | いりょうミスはさいりょうのかんきょうでもおこりうる。 | iryō misu wa sairyō no kankyō de mo okori-uru. | Medical errors can occur even in the best environments. |
Comparison with Related Patterns
| Pattern | Meaning | Type of Possibility |
|---|---|---|
| 〜うる/える | Can possibly X (logical/theoretical) | Objective, formal |
| 〜できる | Can do X (ability) | Personal ability |
| 〜かもしれない | Might X (guess) | Subjective uncertainty |
| 〜かねない | Might X (negative warning) | Risk/concern about bad outcome |
Common Mistakes
- ❌ 私はこれをすることうる → うる attaches to the MASU-STEM only, not a full phrase.
- ✓ これは起こり得ることだ (attaches to 起こり = masu-stem of 起こる)
- ❌ Confusing うる with できる: できる = "I can do it (ability)"; うる = "it is logically possible that X could happen"
- Note: する → し得る (not すうる). The masu-stem of する is し.