得/不
de / bu
There is a door between the verb and its result
The picture A door standing between the verb and the result it aims at. 得 says the door is open; 不 says it is locked. 得/不 asks whether the road to the result is open or blocked; 能 asks whether circumstances allow it — 听不见 and 不能听 say different things.
Where the picture shows up in 得/不
-
the door to understanding is open
你说慢点儿，我听得懂。
nǐ shuō màn diǎnr, wǒ tīng de dǒng
Speak a bit slower and I can follow you.
Slow speech walking straight through the open door and landing in your head.
-
the door to hearing is shut
外面太吵，我听不见。
wàimiàn tài chǎo, wǒ tīng bu jiàn
It's too loud out there, I can't hear you.
A voice bouncing off a wall of noise and coming back before it reaches your ear.
The negative is 听不见, not 不能听见. 能 is about permission or circumstance; 得/不 is about whether it can actually happen.
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the door to finishing is open
这么多菜，我们吃得完吗？
zhème duō cài, wǒmen chī de wán ma
That's a lot of food — can we finish it?
The door between the dishes on the table and your stomach standing open, with room on the far side for all of it.
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the door to fitting is shut
后备箱太小，行李放不下。
hòubèixiāng tài xiǎo, xíngli fàng bu xià
The boot is too small, the luggage won't fit.
A suitcase shoved at the boot opening, catching on the lip, and popping straight back out.
-
the door to getting up is open
明天六点你起得来吗？
míngtiān liù diǎn nǐ qǐ de lái ma
Can you manage to get up at six tomorrow?
The door between the six o'clock alarm and your body standing open, one foot already out from under the duvet.
All of it in one picture
得 and 不 are one door standing between a verb and its result. Speech that walks through the door into your head is understood; a voice that bounces off a wall of noise never gets heard. An open door between the dishes and your stomach means you can finish them; a blocked boot opening means the luggage will not go in; an open path between the alarm and your body means you can get up. So 得/不 is never about wanting or being allowed — only about whether the road to the result is actually clear.