Describing whether you’re able to do something in Japanese comes in handy whether you’re in Japan temporarily or for an extended period. For instance, you might tell a friend that you “can swim,” or a potential employer that you “can speak” Japanese. The unique potential form Japanese has specifically addresses situations like these.
Table of Contents
Japanese potential form describes whether you ‘can’ do something
The Japanese potential form is kanō-kei (可能形), combining the Japanese word for “possible” (kanō, 可能) and the suffix for “form” (kei, 形). It describes what someone or something “can” do or is “able” to do. Essentially, this conjugation lets you clarify the difference between what you do and what you have the ability to do.
For example, consider a situation where you’re talking about your Japanese language skills. Using the standard Japanese verb conjugation for a polite statement just explains something that you do.
- Nihongo o hanashimasu.（日本語を話します。）= I speak Japanese.
On the other hand, you could be more specific that you can speak Japanese. Whether or not you do speak it depends on the situation.
- Nihongo o hanasemasu.（日本語を話せます。）= I can speak Japanese.
It’s up to the speaker to decide whether the difference is important and what conjugation to use accordingly.
How to conjugate Japanese verbs to kanō-kei (potential form)
The Japanese verb potential form conjugation depends on what kind of verb you’re conjugating, but the potential form will ultimately end in –eru.
Japanese potential form conjugation for ichidan verbs
The primary way to conjugate ichidan verbs to potential form is to drop the –ru at the end of the dictionary form and replace it with –rareru.
- oboeru（覚える）→ oboerareru（覚えられる）
- to remember → can remember
For casual conversations, you can also use –reru instead of –rareru, which is shorter and easier to say.
- oboeru（覚える）→ oboereru（覚えれる）
- to remember → can remember (casual)
Japanese potential form conjugation for godan verbs
The conjugation rules for conjugating godan verbs to potential form vary slightly depending on what sound the verb ends in. Essentially, you’ll change the “u” sound at the end of the dictionary form into an “e” sound, keeping the same consonant before it according to the hiragana table. For example, ku (く) would become ke (け) and tsu (つ) would become te (て).
This conjugation creates a new verb form that ends in –eru for all godan verbs.
| Dictionary Form | Potential | English |
| 会う au | 会える aeru | to meet/can meet |
| 聞くkiku | 聞ける kikeru | to listen/can listen |
| 泳ぐ oyogu | 泳げる oyogeru | to swim/can swim |
| 話す hanasu | 話せる hanaseru | to speak/can speak |
| 待つmatsu | 待てる materu | to wait/can wait |
| 飛ぶtobu | 飛べる toberu | to fly/can fly |
| 読むyomu | 読める yomeru | to read/can read |
| 走る hashiru | 走れる hashireru | to run/can run |
Japanese potential form conjugation for irregular verbs
The two irregular verbs in Japanese (“to do” and “to come”) each have their own conjugations for potential form.
- suru（する）→ dekiru（できる or 出来る）
- to do → can do
- kuru（来る）→ korareru（来られる）
- to come → can come
Dekiru, the potential form of “to do,” has several meanings beyond “can do.” This includes describing what something is made of, stating that something is complete, or that something is produced. Consider the context of the sentence to determine what meaning is being used.
Potential form verbs can be conjugated into other forms
Once you’ve conjugated the verb in question from dictionary form to potential form, the new form can be conjugated into other forms like an ichidan verb because they now all end in –ru.
That includes changing the conjugation from affirmative to negative, plain form to polite form (also known as masu-form), or to any of the verb tenses Japanese uses.
- akeru（開ける）→ akerareru（開けられる）→ akerarenai（開けられない）
- open → can open → cannot open
- hanasu（話す）→hanaseru（話せる）→ hanasemasu（話せます）
- speak → can speak (plain) → can speak (polite)
- kau（買う) → kaeru（買える）→ kaeta（買えた)
- buy → can buy → could have bought
How to create potential form Japanese sentences
Applying the potential form conjugation in a sentence is simple, as it still follows the standard Japanese word order rules with the verb at the end. The most important thing to pay attention to beyond the conjugation is what Japanese particles you use.
Most Japanese verbs are preceded by a particle that establishes the relationship between the word that comes before the verb and the verb itself. The most important distinctions to remember for potential form are when to use wa (は), ga (が), or no particle at all.
Use particle wa in potential form to designate the subject/topic
You use wa when stating that the subject can perform the action or that the topic is incompatible with the action, rendering the action impossible.
- Watashi wa matemasu yo.（私は待てますよ。）= I can wait.
- Koko de wa oyogemasen. Mizu ga tarimasen.（ここでは泳げません。水が足りません。）= We cannot swim here. There is not enough water.
Use particle ga in potential form for the object of the sentence
In most cases where you would normally use o for the object of a sentence, switch to ga in potential form. It’s still okay to use o, but ga sounds more natural and is preferable. Otherwise, the sentence structure is the same.
- Karaoke de Nihongo no uta ga utaemasu.（カラオケで日本語の歌が歌えます。）= I can sing Japanese songs at karaoke.
However, the potential form of “to do,” which is dekiru, either uses particle ga (never o) or no particle between the object and dekiru.
- Sukī ga dekimasu yo.（スキーができますよ。）= We will be able to ski.
- Densha no eki de ryōgae dekimasu yo.（電車の駅で両替できますよ。）= You can exchange currency at the train station.
This is similar to how you can either use particle o or no particle between the object and the dictionary form of “to do,” which is suru.
Use no particle in potential form when the object is clear from context
Like in most Japanese grammar, the object that would be associated with the verb doesn’t need to be stated explicitly if it’s clear from context. In English, this often translates as the pronoun “it.” Usually, this happens when the object was mentioned in a previous sentence, or it’s being referenced in some other way.
- Pasuta o tsukuri sugimashita ne. Zenbu taberaremasen yo.（パスタを作りすぎましたね。全部食べられませんよ。）= You made too much pasta. We cannot eat it all.
What is the difference between potential form and dekiru form in Japanese?
Rather than its own form, dekiru is the potential form version of the irregular verb “to do.” It can be used in the same way as any other verb in potential form, but it also has a few unique uses when turned into the expression koto ga dekiru (ことができる).
Compared to conjugating the verb into its own potential form, adding koto ga dekiru to the end of a sentence in plain form puts an emphasis on the fact that the entire phrase is possible rather than just the single action.
For example, this sentence emphasizes that not only can the girl read the book, but she can do so in 10 minutes.
- Kanojo wa juppun de kono hon o yomu koto ga dekimasu.（彼女は十分でこの本を読むことができます。）= She can read this book in 10 minutes.
You can also use koto ga dekiru as an alternative to conjugating the verb to potential form. This has a slightly more formal nuance, but its meaning is nearly identical to using the potential form.
- Inu wa oyogu koto ga dekimasu.（犬は泳ぐことができます。）= The dog can swim.
- Inu wa oyogemasu.（犬は泳げます。）= The dog can swim.
Intransitive verbs can describe ability passively without potential form
Some intransitive verbs (verbs that happen passively) describe ability and possibility without conjugating to the potential form. One of the most common is mieru (見える), which means “is visible.” The word “visible” by definition states that something is able to be seen, so it’s not compatible with the potential form.
- Kono T shatsu wa sūtsu no yō ni miemasu.（このTシャツはスーツのように見えます。）= The t-shirt looks like a suit. (Literally: The t-shirt is visibly like a suit.)
The ichidan potential form conjugation is the same as the passive form
It’s easy to confuse the potential form of ichidan verbs with the Japanese passive form because both conjugations end in –rareru. Use context and particles to distinguish the two.
For example, if someone wants to say they can eat sushi, you know it’s the potential form because it’s highly unlikely that they’re being eaten by sushi (which would be the passive form). If you still need an extra hint, the particle ga after the object rather than ni is another indicator.
- Watashi wa sushi ga taberaremasu.（私は寿司が食べられます。）= I can eat sushi.
Meanwhile, the subject of a sentence in passive form is unlikely to be capable of performing the action, so you can tell it’s not potential form.
- Sushi wa neko ni taberaremashita.（寿司は猫に食べられました。）= The sushi was eaten by the cat.
The English word ‘can’ and Japanese potential form aren’t always the same
The word “can” has many uses and definitions in English, and some of them don’t translate into the Japanese potential form. Instead, Japanese has a few other expressions that are close to “can” when it’s not about someone or something’s ability to do something. Remember that the potential form is for describing ability, and keep an eye out for these common mistakes.
‘Can’ vs. ‘may’ in Japanese
The expressions you use in Japanese for “can I” and “may I” are different from the ones used in English. Knowing the difference will help you know which phrase to use in Japanese.
- “Can” as in “Can you speak Japanese?” asks about ability. → Use Japanese potential form.
- “May” as in “May I go to the bathroom?” asks for permission. → Use –te mo ii (～てもいい) expression by conjugating the verb to te-form.
Etiquette around taking pictures in public in Japan is stricter than in the United States. Part of practicing responsible photography is asking permission before taking pictures of other people.
- Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.（写真をとってもいいですか。）= May I take a photograph?
Note how different this sounds from using the potential form for the same question, which is incorrect for the situation:
- Shashin o toremasu ka.（写真をとれますか。）= Can I take a photograph? (Literally: Am I capable of taking a photograph?)
Describing if something ‘can’ happen in Japanese
English sometimes uses “can” to talk about things that happen on occasion. Mathematics “can” be difficult, or learning a language “can” be fun. Instead of using the potential form, you’ll use the expression koto ga aru (ことがある) for these situations. Essentially, it translates to “there are times when.”
To use this expression, add the phrase describing the situation in plain form before koto ga aru.
- Shiai wa ame de chūshi ni naru koto ga aru.（試合は雨で中止になることがある。）= Games can get called off due to rain. (Literally: There are times when a game gets called off due to rain.)
Using ‘can’ to request a favor in Japanese
Making a request to someone else in English often starts with “can you” or “could you,” but this doesn’t always ask after someone’s ability to help. Instead of the potential form, you’ll need to combine te-form to connect verbs and clauses with one of the verbs for “to give.” Rather than implying ability, it’s asking if someone “will” help.
Most often, asking a favor of someone else involves using kureru (くれる), which means “to give (me),” or its formal version, kudasaru (くださる). You might recognize the latter as the verb that can conjugate to kudasai (ください), one of the ways to say “please” in Japanese.
- Sumimasen. Mō ichido itte kudasai.（すみません。もう一度言ってください。）= I did not understand you. Can you repeat that, please? (Literally: Will you say that one more time [for me], please?)
Instead of using kudasai, you can also use kureru in its negative form (kuremasen for polite or kurenai for casual) with the question marker ka (か) to make a request.
- Kore o motte kuremasen ka.（これを持ってくれませんか。）= Can you hold this, please? (Literally: Will you hold this [for me], please?)
- Hai, mochimasu yo.（はい、持ちますよ。）= Yes, I can hold it. (Yes, I will hold it.)
Key takeaways about the Japanese potential form
Now that you “can use” (tsukaeru, 使える) the potential form Japanese uses to express ability, you can apply it to your daily conversations in Japanese. It’s a straightforward, formulaic conjugation.
- Potential form is for talking about ability (“can do”) and doesn’t necessarily apply to other English uses of “can.”
- The Japanese potential form conjugation for ichidan verbs requires dropping the –ru and adding –rareru (polite) or –reru (casual).
- The conjugation for godan verbs ends in –eru (where you replace the final “u” sound with an “e” sound from the same consonant-vowel pair set).
- The irregular verb suru conjugates to dekiru, and the irregular verb kuru conjugates to korareru.
- As an alternative to conjugating a verb into potential form, you can use the dictionary form + koto ga dekimasu to say that you can do that action.
0 Commentaires