40837
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？
    
```

Why is imperative form used here?

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.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-11T18:11:52.397
40836
2016-11-11T18:17:03.427
11827
question
conjugations
Why is imperative form used here?
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.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-11T18:17:03.427
40837
2016-11-11T18:17:03.427
78
40836
answer