Meaning of よく住める

Question

I came across this sentence in an exercise, so there is no context :

こんなに寒い部屋によく住めるね。

What is exactly the meaning of よく住める and is it possible to have one or two other sentences using it?

Answer 1

Here よく means how (can/do you) ...?, indicating the speaker thinks '...' is something extraordinary. It is somewhat close to how come ...?.

So the sentence means how can you live in such a cold room like this? (I think it's impossible).

Incidentally よく can be put at the front: よくこんな寒い部屋に住めるね.

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Other examples:

• よくこんなもの見つけたね How did you find such a thing? (I am surprised you did)
• よくそんなこと言えるね How dare you say such a thing?
• よく日本語なんか勉強するね How come you study Japanese!

Note that it often comes with そんな/こんな or なんか (roughly corresponding to such).

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デジタル大辞泉 lists this usage of よく(well) as separate definitions:

４ 困難なことをしたり、考えられないような喜ばしい結果を得たりして感じ入るさま。本当にまあ。よくぞ。「―来てくれました」「月給だけで―やっていけるね」

５ 相手の非常識な言動などを非難するさま。4を反語的にいう語。よくもまあ。「―のこのこと来られたものだ」

5 is the definition for how dare...

That said, I suppose it can be understood as an exclamation. E.g. the sentence in question is how well you live in such a cold room! and the speaker thinks you are doing too well (much).

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In terms of register, it is colloquial, but can be made polite. E.g. よくこんな寒い部屋に住めますね.

Ending with な (e.g. 住めるな) would sound masculine and somewhat more rude.