られる / える (Potential Form)

られる / える (Potential Form) Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Auxiliary Verb

Essential Meaning: Able to do X / Can do X / X can be done

Construction: 

• Group 1 Verbs: Conditional Form + る
  • E.g. 話はなせる [X can speak]

• Group 2 Verbs: Verb Stem + られる
  • E.g. 食たべられる [X can eat]

• Irregular Verbs:
  • 来る = 来こられる [X can come]
  • する = 出来できる [X can do]

Notes:

• This is the potential verb form, which translates to “Can do X” or “Able to do X“. In other words, it expresses the idea that one has the potential to do something or that something has the potential to be done.

• When a potential sentence contains an experiencer, the sentence often takes the XはYが construction where X is the experiencer and Y is the thing that can be done. Note that Y (the thing that can be done) can also be marked by を (Direct Object) most of the time, with the difference being that を (Direct Object) tends to indicate a higher level volition than が. So if the sentence indicates a strong sense of choice / volition on the part of the experiencer, を (Direct Object) is the appropriate particle to mark object Y.
  • E.g. 私わたしはやめようと思おもえばいつでも今いまの仕事しごとをやめられる。[If I feel that I want to quiet, I can quit my job at any time.] In this example, the speaker has the volitional choice to quit or not to quit, so を (Direct Object) is the appropriate particle.
  • E.g. 僕ぼくはやっとの思おもいで自分じぶんをおさえられた。[I was barely able to control my emotions.] Controlling one’s emotions implies volition, so を (Direct Object) is an appropriate choice in this case.

• With できる (the potential form of する), the object always takes the が particle.
  • E.g. 私わたしはチェスができる。[I can play chess.]

• を (Space) and を (Origin Of Movement) can not be replaced by が when the predicate is a potential form verb.
  • E.g. 私わたしはあの公園こうえんを夜よる一人ひとりで歩あるけない。[I can’t walk through the park alone at night.] This is an example of を (Space). It cannot be replaced by が.
  • E.g. この道みちを靴くつをはかずに歩あるけますか。[You can walk on this street without wearing shoes.] 道みちを is an example of を (Space). It cannot be replaced by が.
  • E.g. 今日きょうはうちを出でられません。[I can’t leave my house today.] This is an example of を (Origin Of Movement). It cannot be replaced by が.

• If the experiencer is irrelevant or is obvious from context, he or she can be omitted and the object of the action can be marked wth the は particle. If the object of the action were instead marked with が, it would imply that the object is the experiencer.
  • E.g. この字じは読よめない。[I can’t read this character.] It’s obvious from context that the speaker is the experiencer.
  • E.g. *この字じが読よめない。[This character is unable to read] が implies that the character has personal agency, which is nonsensical.
  • E.g. この水みずは飲のめない。[You can’t drink this water.] In this example, the experiencer is irrelevant; what matters is that the water is undrinkable.

• Non-volitional verbs such as 分わかる [To understand], 要いる [To need], ある [To exist], 開あく [To open], and くさる [To rot] are not used in the potential form.

• Potentiality can also be expressed using the ことができる construction rather than the normal られる / れる conjugation. The difference is that ことができる is more formal.
  • E.g. 私わたしはピアノを弾ひくくことができます。[I can play the piano.]

• The potential verb endings られる / える conjugate as Group 2 verbs ( e.g. 話はなせる, 話はなせない, 話はなせて, 話はなせた, et cetera).

• In informal conversation, Group 2 verbs can be conjugated as Verb Stem + れる (i.e. the ら can be dropped).
  • E.g. チーズケーキが食たべられない。[I can’t eat cheesecake.]
  • E.g. チーズケーキが食たべれない。[I can’t eat cheesecake.] This is the informal version with ら dropped.

Example Sentences:

私わたしは日本語にほんごが読よめる。[I can read Japanese.]

この水みずは飲のめない。[This water is undrinkable.]

ブラウンさんは刺身さしみが食たべられない。[Mr. Brown can’t eat sashimi.]

寺田てらださんはテニスが出来できる。[Terada-san can play tennis.]

この字じは読よめない。[I can’t read this character.]

WILD Examples:

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