modality N3 common casualpolitewritten

〜と言える — one can say that ~

〜と言える・といえる

Meaning

one can say that ~ / it can be said that ~ — presents a conclusion as reasonable and defensible given the facts

Frames a claim as objectively justified rather than a personal hunch — common in essays, reports, and analysis. 〜と言えるだろう / 〜と言えなくもない soften or hedge it further.

Key sentence

この実験じっけんは成功せいこうしたと言いえる。

One can say this experiment was a success.

Formation

Attaches to	Form	Example
Plain-form clause + と言える (potential of 言う)	[clause] + と言える	安全あんぜんだと言いえる / 努力どりょくの成果せいかだと言いえる

Examples

データを見みる限かぎり、景気けいきは回復かいふくしつつあると言いえる。

As far as the data shows, one can say the economy is recovering.

彼かれの判断はんだんは正ただしかったと言いえるだろう。

We can probably say his judgment was correct.

Easily confused with

だろうだろう is the speaker's conjecture ('probably ~'); と言える asserts that the conclusion is *warranted by evidence* — closer to 'it is fair to say', not a guess.

Notes

The negative とは言えない ('you can't really say that ~') is just as common, used to reject an overstatement.

See 〜と言える in real sentences

Jengo shows 〜と言える the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.

← Back to the grammar tree