～ていられない (〜te irarenai)
Explanation
Expresses that one cannot afford to do something; 'can't keep on', 'unable to continue'.
Formation
Verb-て form + いられない
Detailed Explanation
The ～ていられない grammar point is used to express a feeling of not being able to continue doing something or remaining in a certain state. It can be translated as 'can't keep on', 'unable to continue', or 'can't afford to' in English. The formation is the same for all verb types.
Examples
こんなに忙しいのに、無理に遊んでいられない。
Konna ni isogashii noni, muri ni asonde irarenai.
I'm so busy that I can't afford to just play around.
寒すぎて、外で待っていられない。
Samusugite, soto de matte irarenai.
It's too cold; I can't keep waiting outside.
この問題は重要だから、放っておいていられない。
Kono mondai wa jūyō dakara, houtte oite irarenai.
This issue is too important to ignore.
彼女の態度が我慢できず、黙っていられない。
Kanojo no taido ga gaman dekizu, damatte irarenai.
I can't stand her attitude, so I can't stay silent.
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.