Japanese Language Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for students, teachers, and linguists wanting to discuss the finer points of the Japanese language. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
One day a friend of mine told me my usage of 合える人 is grammatically incorrect but when I check on the internet, I see we can use the potential form with 合う.
I want to say that I can potentially get along with a person.
Why is it wrong? Which rule am I breaking?
(According to web searches,) there is a distinction called 意志動詞 and 無意志動詞. The former denotes the verbs that express voluntary actions.
The rule is that there is no potential form for 無意志動詞, which 合う in 気が合う belongs to.
For comparison, 分かり合う is a voluntary action, so 分かり合える is fine.
(Another confusing element may be the English "get along", which may well be understood as a voluntary action.)
Another example may be instructive (partially from the link above).
To be a doctor is something one does at her own will, but the coming of spring is not. Hence the difference.
