96566
The potential and passive forms for ichidan verbs are the same. In the
following sentence:

```

    自由の本当の意味がわからなければ、自由を与えられるべきではない。
    
```

I initially read this as, "If you don't know the real meaning of freedom, you
should not be given it."

However, I think that it can also be interpreted as, "If you don't know the
real meaning of freedom, you should not have the ability to grant it (to
others)."

Is this sentence actually ambiguous in meaning, or are there other parts of
the sentence or grammar rules that I'm unaware of that make either meaning
obviously incorrect?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-10T00:47:11.667
96563
2022-10-10T03:29:43.993
2022-10-10T01:06:23.857
35041
35041
question
grammar ambiguity
Ambiguity in passive and potential ichidan verbs
Yes, 与えられる can mean either "can give (something to someone)" or "is given
(something by someone)", and this sentence is technically ambiguous. But if
there is no other context, almost everyone would take it as passive voice,
just as you did. This is because the implied subject of this sentence is
"generic you" (or "one", "people"), who clearly doesn't have an
privilege/ability to grant someone freedom.

In certain rare contexts (for example, when the implied subject is a selfish
son of a king who is in charge of freeing prisoners), the other interpretation
may be possible.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-10T03:29:43.993
96566
2022-10-10T03:29:43.993
5010
96563
answer