Japanese Potential Form: 可能形
可能形の使い方
Master the Japanese potential form (可能形) for expressing ability. Learn conjugation rules and the difference from できる.
The potential form (可能形 - kanō-kei) expresses ability or possibility—whether you "can" do something. It's one of the most frequently used conjugation patterns in daily Japanese.
How to Form the Potential(可能形の作り方)
The potential is formed differently for each verb type:
| Verb Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Godan | Change う to える | 書く → 書ける |
| Ichidan | Drop る, add られる | 食べる → 食べられる |
| する | できる | 勉強する → 勉強できる |
| くる | こられる | くる → こられる |
In casual speech, ichidan verbs often drop the ら: 食べられる → 食べれる (called "ら抜き言葉")
The Particle Change(助詞の変化)
When using the potential form, the object particle often changes from を to が:
Using が emphasizes ability, while を emphasizes the action. Both are correct, but が is more common with potential form.
Potential Form vs. できる(可能形とできる)
You can express ability in two ways:
- Potential form: 日本語が話せる
- Noun + できる: 日本語を話すことができる
The potential form is more natural in conversation. The できる pattern is more formal or literary.
Common Mistakes(よくある間違い)
Watch out for these common errors:
- ❌ できれる (incorrect—できる has no potential form)
- ❌ 見れる (casual but grammatically debated—見られる is standard)
- ❌ 行くことができれる (incorrect combination)
✓Summary
Key points about the potential form:
- Godan: う → える
- Ichidan: る → られる (casual: れる)
- する → できる, くる → こられる
- The object particle often changes from を to が
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