<p>承受得起 here could loosely be translated as "afford", but also as "to bear the burden of sth", as in 承受负担. Like you said, 得 is an adverbial particle. The opposite is 不.</p>

<p>Afford has several different connotations and usages in English. Here are examples of the most common ones:</p>

<p>I can't afford (to buy) this house. 我买不起这个房子。
I can't afford (to pay) your wages. 我付不起你的工资.
I can't afford (to accept) this outcome. 我承担不起这个结果.</p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

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2015-07-31T06:50:54.277Z
2015-07-31T06:50:54.277Z
Daniel Mathieu
<p>I think you may make it simple:</p>

<p>afford=承担，承受</p>

<p>cannot afford=不能承担</p>

<p>I canot afford the gas cost=我不能承担汽油的费用</p>

<p>"不起" is not a must in most cases. </p>

<p>In fact, you can translate "cannot afford" to 不能承担 or 承担不起. </p>

<p>So "得起/不起" is really something related to "can/cannot", not "afford".</p>

<p>"得起/不起" is a bit wider than "can/cannot":</p>

<p>in 玩不起, 输不起, 伤不起 or 惹不起, 不起=definitely cannot + massive side effect if it happened.</p>

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2015-07-31T23:18:06.960Z
2015-07-31T23:18:06.960Z
FortCpp
<p>'afford' in its meaning of 'can pay for' is not so easy to locate in Chinese. There doesn't seem to be one word. 'can't afford' is fairly easy: '买不起‘。</p>

<p>I have this in my text:</p>

<p>..., 既满足了自己买车的愿望，又能承受得起燃油费用。</p>

<p>承受得起 = afford ?? This 得 is its use as a particle?</p>

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2015-07-31T04:49:23.440Z
the opposite of 买不起 is 买得起 of course.
Mou某
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2015-07-31T05:45:02.107Z
You translate 买得起 as afford?
Pedroski
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2015-07-31T07:33:04.523Z
as comment #1 as well as answer #1 make clear, what is required is "can afford" rather than "afford", and "can afford" is in plenty of dictionaries (买得起 see comment #1)
user6065
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2015-07-31T07:58:07.853Z
@Pedroski why not? You could always change it depending on the context but it's okay as a translation. New World Press (NWP) (on Pleco, again!) says: 
I will buy it when I can afford it. 
我买得起就买。 
Wǒ mǎide qǐ jiùmǎi

Oxford (on Pleco) : 
to be able to afford sth. 
买得起某物

BUT Oxford also has: 

to be able to afford to do sth. 
有钱做某事 

So it really depends on the context
Mou某
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2015-07-31T12:20:05.763Z
Thanks, I'll remember that with '不起‘ and ’得起‘。 None too happy with NWP's translation. I'd go for 'If I could afford it, I would buy it.' but maybe we need context there too. @ Reechen, my sentence already has '能'， you must have missed that, what I was asking for was 'afford'. Check iciba for 能负担得起， und Brille putzen gell!
Pedroski
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2015-07-31T12:50:40.717Z
in 能承受得起 能 in fact is superfluous, but if it is in a textbook it must be permitted, 承受得起 already means "can afford" ,last line of question asks: 承受得起 = afford ?? comment #2 asks: You translate 买得起 as afford?
in both cases the answer is "no"
承受得起 ≠ afford, 承受得起 = can (be able to) afford, 买得起= can (be able to afford)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-31T19:43:41.673Z
in regard to simultaneous use of 能愿动词，能，可以 and 可能补语 it seems hard to find this discussed in grammars, however examples like the one mentioned in the question can be found on the web and even dictionaries, more examples: googling "能找得到＂－＞baidu.com/question/561857708566001884.html她要是长痘痘了 能找得到男友吗，baidu.com/question/4389407.html 谁能找得到?  baidu.com/question/710565455407725245.htmlBDSM图片在哪里能找得到  可以找得到－＞baidu.com/question/1112186516841687539 哪里可以找得到动漫的中日双语字幕？
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-31T22:19:30.790Z
Reechen, du hast an alter alias?
Pedroski
<meaning>
Is this the way to say 'afford'?
# Is this the way to say 'afford'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-31)

'afford' in its meaning of 'can pay for' is not so easy to locate in Chinese. There doesn't seem to be one word. 'can't afford' is fairly easy: '买不起‘。

I have this in my text:

..., 既满足了自己买车的愿望，又能承受得起燃油费用。

承受得起 = afford ?? This 得 is its use as a particle?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: the opposite of 买不起 is 买得起 of course.  
> **username_0**: You translate 买得起 as afford?  
> **username_2**: as comment #1 as well as answer #1 make clear, what is required is "can afford" rather than "afford", and "can afford" is in plenty of dictionaries (买得起 see comment #1)  
> **username_1**: @username_0 why not? You could always change it depending on the context but it's okay as a translation. New World Press (NWP) (on Pleco, again!) says:  I will buy it when I can afford it.  我买得起就买。  Wǒ mǎide qǐ jiùmǎi  Oxford (on Pleco) :  to be able to afford sth.  买得起某物  BUT Oxford also has:   to be able to afford to do sth.  有钱做某事   So it really depends on the context  
> **username_0**: Thanks, I'll remember that with '不起‘ and ’得起‘。 None too happy with NWP's translation. I'd go for 'If I could afford it, I would buy it.' but maybe we need context there too. @ Reechen, my sentence already has '能'， you must have missed that, what I was asking for was 'afford'. Check iciba for 能负担得起， und Brille putzen gell!  
> **username_2**: in 能承受得起 能 in fact is superfluous, but if it is in a textbook it must be permitted, 承受得起 already means "can afford" ,last line of question asks: 承受得起 = afford ?? comment #2 asks: You translate 买得起 as afford? in both cases the answer is "no" 承受得起 ≠ afford, 承受得起 = can (be able to) afford, 买得起= can (be able to afford)  
> **username_2**: in regard to simultaneous use of 能愿动词，能，可以 and 可能补语 it seems hard to find this discussed in grammars, however examples like the one mentioned in the question can be found on the web and even dictionaries, more examples: googling "能找得到＂－＞baidu.com/question/561857708566001884.html她要是长痘痘了 能找得到男友吗，baidu.com/question/4389407.html 谁能找得到?  baidu.com/question/710565455407725245.htmlBDSM图片在哪里能找得到  可以找得到－＞baidu.com/question/1112186516841687539 哪里可以找得到动漫的中日双语字幕？  
> **username_0**: Reechen, du hast an alter alias?  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-07-31. Score: 4

承受得起 here could loosely be translated as "afford", but also as "to bear the burden of sth", as in 承受负担. Like you said, 得 is an adverbial particle. The opposite is 不.

Afford has several different connotations and usages in English. Here are examples of the most common ones:

I can't afford (to buy) this house. 我买不起这个房子。
I can't afford (to pay) your wages. 我付不起你的工资.
I can't afford (to accept) this outcome. 我承担不起这个结果.

Hope that helps!


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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-07-31. Score: 2

I think you may make it simple:

afford=承担，承受

cannot afford=不能承担

I canot afford the gas cost=我不能承担汽油的费用

"不起" is not a must in most cases.

In fact, you can translate "cannot afford" to 不能承担 or 承担不起.

So "得起/不起" is really something related to "can/cannot", not "afford".

"得起/不起" is a bit wider than "can/cannot":

in 玩不起, 输不起, 伤不起 or 惹不起, 不起=definitely cannot + massive side effect if it happened.


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