Japanese

える

たえる
Meaning: to endure; to withstand; to be worth (doing)
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 堪える 堪えない
Polite 堪えます 堪えません
Past 堪えた 堪えなかった
Polite + Past 堪えました 堪えませんでした
Te-form 堪えて 堪えなくて
Potential 堪えられる 堪えられない
Passive 堪えられる 堪えられない
Causative 堪えさせる 堪えさせない
Imperative 堪えろ 堪えるな

Handwriting

堪
え
る

Example sentences

He endured the rigorous training patiently.
彼は怒りに任せて、聞くに堪えない罵言を浴びせた。
He gave in to his anger and showered them with unbearable insults.
彼の言動は俗臭芬芬としていて、聞くに堪えない。
His speech and behavior reek of vulgarity and are unbearable to listen to.
10年ぶりに帰郷した私は、立ち並ぶビルを見て今昔之感に堪えなかった。
Returning to my hometown for the first time in ten years, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of the changes between now and the past as I looked at the rows of buildings.

Usage Notes

Used for enduring physical or mental pain, hardship, or difficult conditions. It can also mean that something is worth a certain evaluation (e.g., 'worth reading').

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.