Japanese grammar · Elementary (A2)
The potential form: can
How to say “can” with 食べられる, 話せる, できる and 来られる, が with the potential, noun + ができる, and 見える／聞こえる.
Making the potential form
The potential form says what someone can do. Ru-verbs replace る with ～られる (-rareru): (taberu) → (taberareru), can eat. U-verbs change their last sound to the e row and add る: (hanasu) → (hanaseru), can speak; (iku) → (ikeru), can go.
The two irregular verbs: (suru) becomes a different verb, (dekiru); (kuru) becomes (korareru).
| Verb | Potential | Polite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| (taberu), eat | (taberareru) | (taberaremasu) | (taberarenai) |
| (miru), see | (mirareru) | (miraremasu) | (mirarenai) |
| (hanasu), speak | (hanaseru) | (hanasemasu) | (hanasenai) |
| (iku), go | (ikeru) | (ikemasu) | (ikenai) |
| (yomu), read | (yomeru) | (yomemasu) | (yomenai) |
| (kau), buy | (kaeru) | (kaemasu) | (kaenai) |
| (matsu), wait | (materu) | (matemasu) | (matenai) |
| (suru), do | (dekiru) | (dekimasu) | (dekinai) |
| (kuru), come | (korareru) | (koraremasu) | (korarenai) |
Using the potential
Every potential form is itself a ru-verb, so it conjugates like one: (hanaseta), could speak; (hanasenakatta), couldn't speak; (hanasete).
The thing you can do is usually marked with (ga) instead of (o): (Nihongo ga hanasemasu), I can speak Japanese. is also heard, especially in longer sentences.
In everyday speech, many people drop the ら of ru-verbs and : (tabereru), (mireru), (koreru). It's very common, but the full form with ら is the standard and the safe choice in writing and polite speech.
- 今、ちょっと話せますか。Ima, chotto hanasemasu ka.Can you talk for a moment now?
- 辛いものは食べられません。Karai mono wa taberaremasen.I can't eat spicy food.
- 昨日は忙しくて、来られませんでした。Kinō wa isogashikute, koraremasen deshita.I was busy yesterday, so I couldn't come.
できる: noun + ができる and ～ことができる
(dekiru) also follows nouns directly, with (ga): (tenisu ga dekimasu), I can play tennis; (unten ga dekimasu), I can drive.
Another way to say “can” is the dictionary form + (koto ga dekiru): (koko de okane o ryōgae suru koto ga dekimasu), you can change money here. It means the same as the potential form but sounds more formal. You'll see it in notices, guides and explanations.
has other meanings too: to be ready (, gohan ga dekita yo, dinner's ready) and to be built or open (, eki no mae ni atarashii mise ga dekimashita, a new shop has opened in front of the station).
- 母は英語とフランス語ができます。Haha wa Eigo to Furansugo ga dekimasu.My mother can speak English and French.
- このカードで支払いをすることができます。Kono kādo de shiharai o suru koto ga dekimasu.You can pay with this card.
見える and 聞こえる
For things that you can see or hear without trying, Japanese uses two special verbs: (mieru), to be visible, and (kikoeru), to be audible. The thing seen or heard takes (ga): (koko kara Fujisan ga miemasu), you can see Mount Fuji from here. On the phone: (kikoemasu ka), can you hear me?
(mirareru) and (kikeru) are about having the chance to see or hear something: (kono eiga wa netto de miraremasu), you can watch this film online.
- すみません、声がよく聞こえないんですが。Sumimasen, koe ga yoku kikoenai n desu ga.Sorry, I can't hear you very well.
- 部屋から海が見えます。Heya kara umi ga miemasu.You can see the sea from the room.
Became able: ～ようになる (B1)
To say that you can now do something you couldn't before, add (yō ni naru) to the potential form: (oyogeru yō ni narimashita), I've learned to swim. For something you can no longer do, use the negative with ～なくなる (-naku naru): (hashirenaku natta), I can't run any more.
- 日本語で電話ができるようになりました。Nihongo de denwa ga dekiru yō ni narimashita.I can now make phone calls in Japanese.
- 毎日練習して、やっと漢字が読めるようになった。Mainichi renshū shite, yatto kanji ga yomeru yō ni natta.I practised every day and can finally read kanji.