前会計年度（ぜんかいけいねんど）に比（くら）べて、今年度（こんねんど）は成功（せいこう）だ<strong>と言（い）えるでしょう</strong>。

発明家（はつめいか）は、「変人（へんじん）」という評価（ひょうか）を一般（いっぱん）の<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='300'>人（ひと）</span>から下（くだ）されてきた<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='30' data-vocab-id='91'>この</span>マニフェストは<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='907'>自然（しぜん）</span>環境（かんきょう）の現在（げんざい）の状態（じょうたい）<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='189'>について</span>のひとつの<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='590'>意見（いけん）</span>だ<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='421'>古（ふる）い</span>中国語（ちゅうごくご）の<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='820'>発音（はつおん）</span>が、現在（げんざい）の<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='637'>日本語（にほんご）</span>に<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='466'>大（おお）きく</span>影響（えいきょう）している<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='635'>日本（にほん）</span>は独自（どくじ）の<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='623'>文化（ぶんか）</span>で国際的（こくさいてき）に<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='677'>有名（ゆうめい）</span>だ<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='136'>スマホ</span>やタブレットのために<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='502'>子供（こども）</span>がいなくなった<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='1007'>遊（あそ）び</span>場（ば）は時代（じだい）の象徴（しょうちょう）だ<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='849'>私（わたし）</span>に言（い）わせれば、彼（かれ）はポーランドのスティーブン・スピルバーグのような人（ひと）だった<strong>と言（い）えるでしょう</strong>。

話（はな）している最中（さいちゅう）に割（わ）り込（こ）むのは、明（あき）らかに失礼（しつれい）だ<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='564'>彼（かれ）</span>らは同時（どうじ）にゴールインした<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='912'>船（ふね）</span>は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='1076'>飛行機（ひこうき）</span>ほど<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='1000'>速（はや）く</span>ないが、<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='11' data-vocab-id='149'>それ</span><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='166'>でも</span>船旅（ふなたび）を好（この）む<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='300'>人（ひと）</span>は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='462'>多（おお）い</span><strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='567'>彼女（かのじょ）</span>の長所（ちょうしょ）は働（はたら）き者（もの）で<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='676'>ある</span>ことだ<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

20世紀（せいき）には<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='103'>コンピュータ</span>によって<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='801'>生活（せいかつ）</span>しやすくなってきた<strong>と言（い）えるだろう</strong>。

<div class='writeup-body'><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）える</span> is a common expression that utilizes the potential form of the verb 言（い）う 'to say', to highlight that it is possible for something to be said. This phrase is often used to express a general idea about something that the speaker believes to be correct. <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）える</span> translates as 'it is fair to say (A)', or 'one could say (A)'.<br>As the <span class='info-highlight' data-term='格助詞・かくじょし'>case marking particle</span> と is being used in its 引用（いんよう） (citation) use, <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）える</span> may follow any direct phrase/statement.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='30'>この</span>儀式（ぎしき）は日本（にほん）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='6'>の</span>文化（ぶんか）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='391'>の一（いと）つ</span><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）える</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>It is fair to say that this ceremony is part of Japan's culture.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='47'>あの</span>ビルは日本一（にっぽんいち）高（たか）いビルだ<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）える</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>One could say that the building over there is the tallest building in Japan.</div></li></ul>と言（い）える is regularly seen paired with grammar patterns like <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='18'>だろう</span>, or <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='9'>でしょう</span>. This makes the overall statement more friendly, by considering the listener's thoughts about the issue being presented. <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）えるだろう</span> can simply be translated as 'can we not say (A)?', or '(A) can be said, right?'.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='30'>この</span>プランは成功（せいこう）した<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）えるだろう</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>We could say that this plan was a success, right?</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>タナカ選手（せんしゅ）は国民的（こくみんてき）アスリートだ<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='629'>と言（い）えるでしょう</span>。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Can it not be said that Tanaka is an athlete loved by everyone in the country?</div></li></ul><div class='writeup-caution'><div class='caution-header'>Caution</div>When the potential form of 言（い）う is linked with the <span class='info-highlight' data-term='助動詞・じょどうし'>auxiliary verb</span> よう, it creates a much stronger phrase that is similar to 'let it be said that (A)'.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>人（ひと）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='10'>が</span>話（はな）し<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='27'>ている</span><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='93'>とき</span><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='32'>に</span>、携帯（けいたい）<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='21'>を</span>見（み）る<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='16'>の</span>は失礼（しつれい）だといえ<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='121'>よう。</span></div><div class='writeup-example--english'>Let it be said that looking at your phone while someone is talking to you is rude. (Anyone would say this, so don't make me say it to you)</div></li></ul></div><div class='writeup-funfact'><div class='funfact-header'>Fun Fact</div>The speaker is usually relatively confident about their statement when using と言（い）える, but the usage of a form that expresses conjecture shows that they are open to the possibility of being wrong, thus softening the tone.</div></div>

Grammar Info

と言(い)える

would/could say that..., can probably say that..., fair to say that...