核心畫面

One way to hold this word: an answer is owed, and it can be produced. What changes between the uses is who or what the answer is owed to — a question waiting on the page, or a person standing above you who can ask.

可以想成:有一個答案是欠著的,而且交得出來。兩個用法差的只是那個答案要交給誰。一邊是紙上那道等著被回答的題目。一邊是更多收起可以想成:有一個答案是欠著的,而且交得出來。兩個用法差的只是那個答案要交給誰。一邊是紙上那道等著被回答的題目。一邊是站在你上面、隨時可以開口問的人。字形上 answer 加 -able,就是「答得出來」,剩下的差別由介系詞去分。

From the word’s history

Wiktionary records the word as answer + -able, with -able coming through Latin -bilis and Old French -able, so the form literally means able to be answered.

維基詞典記錄的組成是 answer 加上 -able,而 -able 是從拉丁文 -bilis 經古法文 -able 進到英文的。所以字面上就是「可以被回答的」。這也解釋了為什麼比較貼字面的那個意思,反而不是字典排在前面的那個。

Wiktionary entry for answerable (kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:454992730:15241), etymology: From answer + -able.

Two branches

答得出來(給題目)

這一支是最貼字面的讀法:answer 加 -able,可以被回答。

adjective · C1

A question that is answerable can be answered: a real answer to it exists, and there is enough information to reach it.

答得出來的

交代得出來(給人)

同樣是「要交出一個答案」,只是收答案的不是題目,而是有權過問你的人。介系詞 to 就是分水嶺。

adjective · C1

If you are answerable to someone, you have to explain what you have done to them, because they have authority over you. Add for something to name the thing you must explain.

要向…交代、負責