Potential Form — Can Do

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form and use the potential form in Japanese to say what you can or cannot do. You'll learn the rules for both ru-verbs and u-verbs, plus the special verb できる (dekiru).

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The potential form changes a verb from "do" to "can do."
For example:

• 食べる (taberu) = to eat → 食べられる (taberareru) = can eat食
• 書く (kaku) = to write → 書ける (kakeru) = can write書

In English, we add "can" before the verb. In Japanese, we change the verb ending.

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1. Ru-verbs (ichidan verbs)

Rule: Remove the final る (ru) and add られる (rareru).

Note: In casual speech, many people shorten られる to れる (reru) for ru-verbs.
Example: 見れる (mireru) instead of 見られる (mirareru). This is common but less formal.見

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2. U-verbs (godan verbs)

Rule: Change the final u sound to the e sound, then add る (ru).

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3. Irregular verbs

Only two verbs are irregular:

Note: できる (dekiru) is also a standalone verb meaning "can do" or "is possible."

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Ru-verb example:

• 日本語が話せますか？
  Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka?
  Can you speak Japanese?日本語話

U-verb example:

• 漢字が読めます。
  Kanji ga yomemasu.
  I can read kanji.漢字読

Irregular verb example:

• ピアノができます。
  Piano ga dekimasu.
  I can play piano.

Negative example:

• 早起きできません。
  Hayaoki dekimasen.
  I can't wake up early.早起

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❌ Wrong: 食べれる (tabereru) in formal writing
✅ Correct: 食べられる (taberareru) in formal writing食

Many learners use the shorter れる form in casual speech, but for JLPT N4 and formal situations, stick with られる for ru-verbs.

Also, remember that the particle changes!

• Normal verb: 日本語を話す (Nihongo o hanasu) = speak Japanese日本語話
• Potential verb: 日本語が話せる (Nihongo ga hanaseru) = can speak Japanese日本語話

The object takes が (ga) instead of を (o) in potential sentences.

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Fill in the blanks with the correct potential form:

1. この漢字が＿＿＿＿＿（書く・kaku）ますか？
   Kono kanji ga ______ masu ka?
   (Can you write this kanji?)漢字書

   漢字書

2. 私は車を＿＿＿＿＿（運転する・unten suru）ません。
   Watashi wa kuruma o ______ masen.
   (I can't drive a car.)私車運転

   私車運転

3. ここで写真が＿＿＿＿＿（撮る・toru）ますか？
   Koko de shashin ga ______ masu ka?
   (Can you take photos here?)写真撮

   写真撮

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Answers:

1. 書けます (kakemasu)書
2. できません (dekimasen)
3. 撮れます (toremasu)撮

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You now know how to form the potential verb in Japanese:

• Ru-verbs: Drop る → add られる (or casual れる)
• U-verbs: Change final u to e → add る
• Irregular: する → できる, 来る → 来られる来
• Particle change: を → が

Next step: Practice using the potential form in real sentences. Try describing 3 things you can do and 3 things you cannot do in Japanese. Then move on to the volitional form (let's do ~) to keep building your verb skills!