80708
This a line from "good morning call"

> **その横で平気な顔していられるか？**
>
> Next to that can you wear a cool face ?

How would one explain ~て いる in its potential form ~て いられる ?

I understand it as "Next to that can you be wearing a cool face ?"= so a
nuance of ability/potential with emphasis on being a continuing action rather
than say 顔できる [can wear a face] which is more declarative.

Am I correct ?
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2020-09-17T14:11:50.570
80704
2020-09-17T20:12:43.097
39695
question
grammar potential-form
~ていられる - present progressive and potential?
You are correct that していられる is the potential form of the している. However, you
cannot replace it with できる. できる removes the progressive tense that している
expresses. For example:

> 平気な顔ができる。  
>  To be able to make a calm face.

Although maybe you could argue that with context, this sentence would mean
something more natural, but it sounds like someone saying that they "can
physically make a calm face."

> 平気な顔している。  
>  Making a calm face.

> 平気な顔していられる。  
>  To be able to keep making a calm face.

So, for your example, it would instead mean to "keep making a calm face"
because it is the potential progressive form of the verb する. I'm guessing
something very surprising or scary happened, so this sentence expresses
"There's no way I/could maintain a calm expression."
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-17T19:03:09.053
80708
2020-09-17T20:12:43.097
2020-09-17T20:12:43.097
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80704
answer