Can Do

Japanese Grammar 2

Course 2 · Chapter 8 · The Potential Form

💪 The Potential Form — かのうけい

Japanese has two ways to say "can": a phrase, 〜ことができる, which works for every verb, and a potential form of the verb itself (かける, たべられる). Both are common. The potential form is shorter, and it also changes the particle: what you can do is marked with が, not を.

1. 〜ことができる

Dictionary form + ことが できる ("is able to do"). It works with every verb and is slightly more formal or written.

With a noun, use noun + が できます: にほんごが できます。 ("I can do Japanese / I speak Japanese.") うんてんが できます。 ("I can drive.")

2. The potential forms

Group 1: う-row → え-row + る

Group 2 and Group 3

The potential form is itself a Group 2 verb, so it conjugates in all the forms you know: かけます, かけません, かけた, かけない, かけて.

3. が instead of を

With the potential form the object is marked with が, because the sentence now describes an ability or possibility rather than an action on an object:

In everyday speech を is sometimes still heard (にほんごを はなせる), but が is the standard choice. Other particles are unchanged: うみで およげます。 ("I can swim in the sea.") にほんへ いけます。 ("I can go to Japan.")

4. みえる and きこえる: not really "can"

Two verbs of perception already carry the idea "can":

These happen without effort (the thing simply comes into view or hearing). Compare with the real potentials みられる and きける, which mean "have the opportunity to see / listen": この えいがは インターネットで みられます。 ("You can watch this film online.")

🗣️ In Use — つかいかた

What you can and can't do.

📋 Quick Reference

✍️ Practice — れんしゅう

Try each one, then click to check.