TAKOBOTO

can't help feeling
I can't help feeling sorry for them

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こじにはどうじょうをきんじえない。

I can’t help feeling sorry for the orphans.

どうじょうをきんじえない

cant help feeling sorry for

かれのおろかなふるまいにいかりをきんじえなかった。

I could not control my anger at his silly behaviour.

ふあんをきんじえない。

I can't help but be worried.

かれはかのじょにおどろきをきんじえなかった。

He couldn't help but surprise her.

怒りや悲しみなどの気持を抑えることができない

誠

yookoso, you are right. 禁じる means 抑える or " to suppress", while 得ない means cannot or できない。禁じ得ない literally means 禁じることができない／抑えることができない or "unable to supress", but this grammar always used together with feelings such as 同情、驚き、失望、涙,....

誠

Is this just the verb 禁じる + 得る [eru]? If so, should it have it's own entry when [eru] already exists?

yookoso

I think the nuance is more towards "(I) can't control/supress".
It is often used with 怒り,同情,驚き,失望,涙,笑い

blabby

is this the same as [tenaranai]

dc

Tenaranaiis not the same as 禁じえない. 抑えられない can be the similar to 禁じえない.
禁じえない would be used when you talk about feelings. 同情を抑えられない。

Miki

[How would you change Ex.#5123 if you wanted to say:" He couldn't help being surprised by her." as opposed to the present meaning of "He couldn't help but surprise her."?]

rebeccanolan