〜に堪える: Worth Enduring — and Its Common Negative 堪えない
Good enough to hold up under scrutiny
In the affirmative, 〜に堪える praises something by saying it survives close examination — it's not just adequate, it can take the pressure of being judged.
この映画は鑑賞に堪える作品だ。
この えいがは かんしょうに たえる さくひんだ。
This movie is a work worthy of watching / holds up under viewing.
鑑賞に堪える = good enough to withstand being watched closely.
彼の意見は批判に堪える。
かれの いけんは ひはんに たえる。
His opinion can withstand criticism.
Strong enough to survive being picked apart.
Noun/verb + に堪える
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal noun (鑑賞, 批判, 信頼) | Nに堪える | 信頼に堪える人物 |
| Verb (dictionary form) | Vに堪える | 見るに堪える |
モチが書いた作文は、大人の批評に堪える出来だった。
モチが かいた さくぶんは、おとなの ひひょうに たえる できだった。
The essay Mochi wrote turned out good enough to withstand an adult's critique.
The negative 〜に堪えない is the one you'll actually hear
In practice, 見るに堪えない and 聞くに堪えない ("too awful to watch/listen to") are fixed, idiomatic, and much more common than any affirmative use. They describe something so poor, painful, or embarrassing that you can't bear to witness it.
そのニュースは聞くに堪えない内容だった。
その ニュースは きくに たえない ないようだった。
That news had content too awful to listen to.
Don't confuse 堪える with the more general 耐える ("to endure hardship" — physical pain, cold, a long wait). 耐える is about raw endurance in any situation; 堪える is a narrower, more literary pattern about withstanding scrutiny or judgment, almost always in the set phrases 〜に堪える/〜に堪えない.
The short version
- 〜に堪える = "worthy of / good enough to withstand [being watched/criticized/trusted]"
- Attaches to: verbal nouns (鑑賞, 批判, 信頼) or a dictionary-form verb
- Nuance/register: literary/formal; the negative 〜に堪えない ("unbearable") is far more frequent in real usage
- Don't confuse with: 耐える (general physical/mental endurance of hardship)
Practice it
Pick に堪える where something is described as worthy of, or able to withstand, close scrutiny.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
この映画は＿＿＿作品だ。
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜に足る — 〜に足る attaches to a noun or the dictionary form of a verb and means 'enough to,' 'worthy of,' or 'sufficient for' — the thing clears the bar a specific purpose requires. It's close to に値する but leans on adequacy rather than abstract worth.
- 〜によらず — によらず is a formal expression meaning 'regardless of / irrespective of' (年齢によらず参加できる). It attaches to a noun to state that a rule or possibility holds no matter what that factor is, often in official announcements.
- 〜の至り — 〜の至り attaches to an emotion noun to mean 'the utmost' or 'the height of' — 光栄の至り (the height of honor). It's a formal, often humble expression for feeling something at its most extreme, typically joy, honor, or shame.
- 〜の極み — 〜の極み attaches to a noun to mean 'the height of' or 'the extreme of' — 贅沢の極み (the height of luxury). Like 〜の至り, it marks a state at its absolute peak, but it leans toward describing situations and conditions, often negative ones.
- 〜のみか — 〜のみか means 'not only... but even/also,' formally introducing a second fact that goes further than expected — 英語のみか、フランス語も (not only English, but even French). It's close to 〜のみならず but often stresses surprise at the added extreme.
- 〜思いをする — 〜思いをする attaches after an adjective (often た-form or stem) to mean 'to go through/experience [that feeling]' — 悔しい思いをする ('to feel bitter regret'). It almost always describes an unpleasant or difficult emotional experience.