Why is imperative form used here?

Question

I was chatting with a Japanese friend about something I was planning to say to something and they said:

ほうほう、ということは今まで言えてなかったのね？

I understand they are saying, "So that means that until know you hadn't said that".

Would the sentence be different if it was

ほうほう、ということは今まで言わなかったのね？

I asked them but it was difficult for me to understand why.

istrasci · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-11 18:17:03Z

5

This is not the imperative form, it's the potential form.

The imperative of 言う is just 言え. The potential form is 言える, which turns into the 言えて for the 〜て form.

answered Nov 11 '16 at 18:17

istrasci

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Would that mean a more direct translation of the sentence would be: "So that means you couldn't say it until now?" – Tyler H Nov 11 '16 at 18:23
1

@TylerH More accurately, "you haven't been able to say". – broccoli forest Nov 12 '16 at 15:50
What is the meaning of ほうほう here? – jogloran Nov 13 '16 at 7:48

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