Potential form
Say that someone can do something
You'll be able to change verbs into the potential form to talk about abilities and possibilities.
芽衣は自転車に乗れます。
mei wa jitensha ni noremasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
Mei can ride a bicycle.
Say what someone can do
The potential form expresses ability or a possibility allowed by the situation. 乗れます says Mei is able to ride; it does not simply say that she rides regularly.
The same form can describe circumstances: a person may be able to attend because they have time. It does not automatically give permission; for permission, use the N5 pattern ～てもいいですか.
Group 1 · Godan
う → える
会う → 会える
au → aeru
meet → can meet
く → ける
書く → 書ける
kaku → kakeru
write → can write
ぐ → げる
泳ぐ → 泳げる
oyogu → oyogeru
swim → can swim
す → せる
話す → 話せる
hanasu → hanaseru
speak → can speak
つ → てる
待つ → 待てる
matsu → materu
wait → can wait
ぬ → ねる
死ぬ → 死ねる
shinu → shineru
die → can die
ぶ → べる
遊ぶ → 遊べる
asobu → asoberu
play → can play
む → める
読む → 読める
yomu → yomeru
read → can read
る → れる
乗る → 乗れる
noru → noreru
ride → can ride
Group 2 · Ichidan
remove る + られる
食べる → 食べられる
taberu → taberareru
eat → can eat
remove る + られる
見る → 見られる
miru → mirareru
see/watch → can see/watch
Group 3 · Irregular
する → できる
する → できる
suru → dekiru
do → can do
来る → 来られる (く → こ)
来る → 来られる
kuru → korareru
come → can come
Group 1: change the last u-row kana to the e-row
For godan (Group 1) verbs, change the last kana from the u-row to the corresponding e-row, then add る: う→える, く→ける, ぐ→げる, す→せる, つ→てる, ぬ→ねる, ぶ→べる, む→める, る→れる.
For example, 乗る → 乗れる and 読む → 読める. Learn the verb group with the verb: a verb ending in る is not necessarily Group 2.
芽衣は自転車に乗れます。
mei wa jitensha ni noremasu.
Mei can ride a bicycle.
蓮はこの漢字が読めます。
ren wa kono kanji ga yomemasu.
Ren can read this kanji.
カードで払えます。
kaado de haraemasu.
You can pay by card.
Group 2: replace る with られる
For ichidan (Group 2) verbs, remove the final る and add られる: 食べる → 食べられる; 見る → 見られる. Use the full られる form in these lessons. Shorter forms such as 食べれる occur in casual speech.
このパンは食べられます。
kono pan wa taberaremasu.
I can eat this bread.
ここで映画が見られます。
koko de eiga ga miraremasu.
You can watch films here.
Remember する and 来る
する becomes できる. A する compound follows the same pattern: 勉強する → 勉強できる.
来る becomes 来られる. Notice the reading こ in 来られます.
ここでテニスができます。
koko de tenisu ga dekimasu.
You can play tennis here.
明日、来られますか。
ashita, koraremasu ka.
Can you come tomorrow?
昨日は勉強できました。
kinou wa benkyou dekimashita.
I was able to study yesterday.
Make potential forms polite, negative, or past
After forming the potential, conjugate it like a Group 2 verb: 読める → 読めます / 読めない / 読めた / 読めなかった. The polite negative and past are 読めません and 読めました.
が commonly marks the thing someone can read, eat, or do. を is also possible with many potential verbs, so it is not automatically an error. Other particles keep their roles: the に in 自転車に乗れます still belongs to 乗る.
長く泳げません。
nagaku oyogemasen.
I cannot swim for a long time.
昨日は勉強できました。
kinou wa benkyou dekimashita.
I was able to study yesterday.
昨日は来られませんでした。
kinou wa koraremasen deshita.
I could not come yesterday.