Why does 「もう待てないよ！」 mean "I can't wait any longer"?


I've just learnt that the expression 「もう待てないよ！」 has similar meaning in English
as "I can't wait any longer", but how to interpret 「待てない」 from a grammar
point?

Shouldn't the "te-form" of 「待つ」 be 「待って」like in 「待っててね！」?

And why 「待ってない」 doesn't mean something like "I'm not waiting (right now)",
since it's the "nai-form" of 「待ってる」.

Here're some websites I've referred to:

<https://eikaiwa.dmm.com/uknow/questions/11115/>

<https://ameblo.jp/aki-aki-tokachan/entry-11925700002.html>




待って is indeed the te-form, but 待て is not. It is the potential form. Remember
that the final う sound becomes an え sound for the potential form of godan
verbs? I guess this verb is a little more confusing than usual because つ
becomes て (there not being a tse sound).

So the positive potential form of the verb is now 待てる. This conjugates like a
normal ichidan verb so the negative form becomes 待てない as seen in your example.




待って is indeed the te-form, but 待て is not. It is the potential form. Remember
that the final う sound becomes an え sound for the potential form of godan
verbs? I guess this verb is a little more confusing than usual because つ
becomes て (there not being a tse sound).

So the positive potential form of the verb is now 待てる. This conjugates like a
normal ichidan verb so the negative form becomes 待てない as seen in your example.

