Potential
Can do.
Godan: change the final u sound to e and add る. Ichidan: drop る and add られる; in speech often れる.
Potential verbs are ichidan verbs themselves: 書ける, 書けない, 書けます, 書けません, 書けた. What can be done often takes が instead of を. The shorter 食べれる, 見れる and 来れる (これる) are common in speech, but careful writing keeps られる.
- Nihongo ga hanasemasu.I can speak Japanese.
- Kanji ga amari yomemasen.I can't read kanji very well.
- Ashita wa koraremasu ka.Can you come tomorrow?
できる and ことができる
できる, the potential of する, also follows nouns: 日本語ができる "can speak Japanese", 料理ができる "can cook". The dictionary form + ことができる means the same as the potential and sounds more formal.
- Oyogu koto ga dekimasu.I can swim.
見える and 聞こえる
見える mieru and 聞こえる kikoeru say that something can be seen or heard: it comes into view or into earshot by itself. 見られる and 聞ける say that you are able to, or have the chance to.
- Koko kara Fujisan ga miemasu.You can see Mount Fuji from here.
- Kono eiga wa netto de miraremasu.You can watch this film online.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Verbs cards.
What's the potential ('can') form of 書く (write)?
書ける (can write)
What's the potential form of 食べる (eat)?
食べられる (can eat)
What's the potential form of する (do)?
できる (can do)
What's the potential form of 来る (come)?
来られる (こられる, can come)
What's the polite negative of 読める (can read)?
読めません (can't read)
With a potential verb like 話せる (can speak), which particle often replaces を on what can be done?
が
What does the dictionary form + ことができる mean, as in 泳ぐことができる?
Can (swim): the same as the potential, but more formal.
見える or 見られる: which says something can be seen because it comes into view by itself?
見える (mieru)