Why does 「割引がもらえる」 mean "able to receive the discount"?


Consider

> この会社の社員だったら、あの大学で割引がもらえる。

I assume this means (in idiomatic English):

> If I were an employee of this company, I could get a discount at that
> college.

But _literally_ speaking, it seems to mean:

> If I were this company's employee, a discount, within that university, is
> able to receive.

What's throwing me off in particular is:

  * **割引が:** a discount (subject)
  * **もらえる:** to receive (potential form)

So doesn't this mean that 割引が貰える means "the discount is able to receive"? But
don't want to instead say something like

> 私が割引をもらえる
>
> _I_ was able to receive the discount

Or is this one of those things where in Japanese it's just idiomatic to say
"the discount is able to receive", which conveys the same idea as "I am able
to receive the discount" in English?




### Key point

Verbs of potential **in English** describe a property of an actor: **that
person is able to`[VERB]`.**

Verbs of potential **in Japanese** describe a property of a thing: **that
thing is`[VERB]`-able.**

### The grammar and syntax, and an explication of the literal meaning

Compare:

  * EN: _I **can speak** Japanese._  
This describes the **actor** , the one doing the action. The "I" in this
sentence is _able_ to do the action of the verb.

  * JA: 私【わたし】は日本語【にほんご】が **話【はな】せます** 。  
↓ Literal breakdown  
_I`[TOPIC]` Japanese language `[SUBJECT]` **is speakable**._  
↓ As proper English, maintaining the Japanese meaning  
_As for me, Japanese **is speakable**._  
Notice that the verb, 話【はな】せます, describes the subject 日本語【にほんご】 as
"speakable".  
↓ Fully idiomatic English  
_I **can speak** Japanese._  
Idiomatic English shifts the focus from the thing, to the actor.

Sometimes you might see constructions like `[PERSON]`に`[NOUN]`が`[POTENTIAL
VERB]`. Think of this along similar lines to the passive -- the `[NOUN]` is
`[VERB]`-able _by_ the `[PERSON]`.

### The sample sentence in the question

> この会社の社員だったら、あの大学で割引がもらえる。

The key part you're struggling with:

> 割引がもらえる。

This is the same construction as above, just with an implied (and not
explicitly stated) topic. We'll assume this is the first-person "I" here.

  * [私【わたし】は]割引【わりびき】が **もらえる** 。  
↓ Literal breakdown  
_[I`[TOPIC]`] discount `[SUBJECT]` **is gettable**._  
↓ As proper English, maintaining the Japanese meaning  
_As for me, a discount **is gettable**._  
Notice that the verb, もらえます, describes the subject 割引【わりびき】 as "gettable".  
↓ Fully idiomatic English  
_I **can get** a discount._  
Idiomatic English shifts the focus from the thing, to the actor.




### Key point

Verbs of potential **in English** describe a property of an actor: **that
person is able to`[VERB]`.**

Verbs of potential **in Japanese** describe a property of a thing: **that
thing is`[VERB]`-able.**

### The grammar and syntax, and an explication of the literal meaning

Compare:

  * EN: _I **can speak** Japanese._  
This describes the **actor** , the one doing the action. The "I" in this
sentence is _able_ to do the action of the verb.

  * JA: 私【わたし】は日本語【にほんご】が **話【はな】せます** 。  
↓ Literal breakdown  
_I`[TOPIC]` Japanese language `[SUBJECT]` **is speakable**._  
↓ As proper English, maintaining the Japanese meaning  
_As for me, Japanese **is speakable**._  
Notice that the verb, 話【はな】せます, describes the subject 日本語【にほんご】 as
"speakable".  
↓ Fully idiomatic English  
_I **can speak** Japanese._  
Idiomatic English shifts the focus from the thing, to the actor.

Sometimes you might see constructions like `[PERSON]`に`[NOUN]`が`[POTENTIAL
VERB]`. Think of this along similar lines to the passive -- the `[NOUN]` is
`[VERB]`-able _by_ the `[PERSON]`.

### The sample sentence in the question

> この会社の社員だったら、あの大学で割引がもらえる。

The key part you're struggling with:

> 割引がもらえる。

This is the same construction as above, just with an implied (and not
explicitly stated) topic. We'll assume this is the first-person "I" here.

  * [私【わたし】は]割引【わりびき】が **もらえる** 。  
↓ Literal breakdown  
_[I`[TOPIC]`] discount `[SUBJECT]` **is gettable**._  
↓ As proper English, maintaining the Japanese meaning  
_As for me, a discount **is gettable**._  
Notice that the verb, もらえます, describes the subject 割引【わりびき】 as "gettable".  
↓ Fully idiomatic English  
_I **can get** a discount._  
Idiomatic English shifts the focus from the thing, to the actor.

