N1 Emotion and Feeling

~に堪たえない: meaning, usage and examples

~に堪たえない means: too awful to (watch/hear); with feeling nouns: deeply (grateful, regretful).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 彼かれのスピーチは、退屈たいくつで聞きくに堪たえないものだった。

   His speech was so boring it was unbearable to listen to.

2. あの惨状さんじょうは、見みるに堪たえない。

   That tragic scene is unbearable to watch.

3. 皆様みなさまから温あたたかいご支援しえんをいただき、感謝かんしゃの念ねんに堪たえません。

   I am deeply grateful for the warm support I have received from all of you.

4. ネット上じょうには、読よむに堪たえない悪口わるぐちがあふれている。

   The internet is full of insults too vile to read.

When to use it

Has two uses. With 見みる, 聞きく, 読よむ it means the thing is too bad to watch or hear: 見みるに堪たえない. With feeling nouns it means "I feel so strongly I can hardly contain it": 感謝かんしゃの念ねんに堪たえません (I am deeply grateful), 遺憾いかんに堪たえない. Example: 聞きくに堪たえない話はなし, a story too unpleasant to hear.

Nuance

Formal and written. The verb use is critical (poor quality, cruelty, vulgarity). The noun use is polite and appears in speeches and formal letters. Do not use it for ordinary physical pain.

Compare

に忍しのびない is pity: 見みるに忍しのびない (too sad to watch). に堪たえない is disgust or poor quality: 見みるに堪たえない (too awful to watch). に耐たえない is a spelling sometimes seen, but 堪たえない is standard for this pattern. With nouns, 感謝かんしゃに堪たえない ≈ 感謝かんしゃの極きわみ.

Tip: Learn the fixed pairs: 見みるに堪たえない, 聞きくに堪たえない, 読よむに堪たえない, 感謝かんしゃの念ねんに堪たえない. In speeches, the last one is the most common.