書ける・
The potential form puts "can" inside the verb: 書く is "write", 書ける is "can write". It covers what someone is able to do and what is possible in a place or a situation.
possible here
You can eat seasonal fish at this restaurant.
able to make it
Can you come by eight tomorrow?
How to form it
書く → 書ける 食べる → 食べられる する → できる 来る → 来られる
Godan verbs (う-verbs) change their last kana to its え sound and add る. Ichidan verbs (る-verbs) change る to られる. する and 来る are the two irregular verbs.
Polite, negative, past
書けます・書けない・書けた
Every potential form is an ichidan verb, whatever it started as.
Making it
| The verb ends in | Potential | Like this |
|---|---|---|
| Godan: う | える | 買う → 買える |
| Godan: く, ぐ | ける, げる | 行く → 行ける, 泳ぐ → 泳げる |
| Godan: す | せる | 話す → 話せる |
| Godan: つ | てる | 待つ → 待てる |
| Godan: む, ぶ, ぬ | める, べる, ねる | 読む → 読める, 遊ぶ → 遊べる |
| Godan: る | れる | 乗る → 乗れる, 帰る → 帰れる |
| Ichidan: る | られる | 食べる → 食べられる, 見る → 見られる |
| する | できる | 運転する → 運転できる |
| 来る | 来られる | The reading changes from く to こ. |
帰る, 入る and 走る look ichidan but are godan, so they take れる: 帰れる, 入れる, 走れる.
食べれる: the short one you will hear
In conversation many people leave the ら out of ichidan verbs and 来る: 食べれる, 見れる, 来れる. You will hear it all the time. In writing and on tests, られる is still the standard.
Can you eat spicy food?
I can eat a little.
A drops the ら and B keeps it. Both are ordinary between friends.
In use
Can you put on a kimono by yourself?
This box is too heavy for one person to carry.
You can study at this library until nine at night.
I have time today, so I can listen until the end.
が or を?
With the plain verb, the thing you read or eat takes を. With the potential form it usually takes が.
を is said too (漢字を読めます), and it isn't a mistake. が is the safe choice.
Only を changes. に, で and と stay as they are.
My younger brother can't ride a bicycle yet.
Things you'll say and hear
行けるcan go, can make it
I'm sorry, I can't come tomorrow.
食べられるcan eat
Is there anything you can't eat?
Asked at restaurants, and by anyone about to cook for you.
眠れるcan sleep
I haven't been sleeping well lately.
The potential form or ことができる?
They mean the same. The potential form is what people use in conversation. ことができる is longer and more formal, and is at home in notices, websites and explanations.
You can take photos in this museum.
Someone telling you.
You can take photos in this museum.
A guidebook or a website.
Where English "can" is something else
"Can you…?" as a request is てください, and "can I…?" asking someone's permission is てもいいですか. A question in the potential form asks whether it can be done: カードで払えますか asks what the shop takes.
Sounds odd: もう
Are you able to say it once more?
It sounds like testing the person. The request is もう一度言ってください.
分かる, 見える and 聞こえる already have "can" in them, so they have no potential form.
Not said: 日本語が
(I can understand a little Japanese.)
日本語が少し分かります.
Close neighbours
For ichidan verbs and 来る, the passive ("is eaten", "was seen") is the same word as the potential. When the one who did it is in the sentence with に, it is the passive.
A stranger stared at me.
知らない人に: by a stranger. Not "I could see".
見える・聞こえるN4
Something is in sight or reaches your ears without your trying. 見られる and 聞ける are for when you have the chance to watch or listen.
You can see the sea from this room.
The longer way to say "can". With a skill it needs no verb at all: a noun and ができる.
My father can cook.
ようになるN4
After a potential form: you couldn't before, and now you can.
I couldn't swim as a child, but now I can swim five hundred meters.
The dictionary form that the potential is made from, and how to tell a godan verb from an ichidan one.
I drink coffee every morning.
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
田中さんは
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which sentence is about being able to eat?
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
を on a road
A road or place you move along normally keeps its を.
Construction is underway, but pedestrians can use this road.
More sentences
With this app, you can make a reservation from your smartphone.
I'm relieved that I was able to make it to the venue safely.
With this stream, you can watch the match even from overseas.