Mastering the Potential Form (~られる): Expressing Ability and Possibility in Japanese

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Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

“can do”, “is able to do”, “it is possible to do”

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate the ability or possibility of performing an action.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Group 2 / Ichidan): Remove る, add られる Verb (する): できる Verb (くる): こられる

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used in formal contexts, often with polite endings like ~ます.

😊 Informal Situations

Commonly used in informal speech.

✍️ Written Language

Used in written texts, articles, and literature.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequently used in everyday conversation.

💡 Common Applications

Stating personal abilities
Describing what someone is capable of doing.
Example: 私は漢字が読めます。(Watashi wa Kanji ga yomemasu.) – I can read kanji.
Describing possibility or feasibility
Indicating whether an action is possible under certain conditions.
Example: ここで写真が撮れます。(Koko de shashin ga toremasu.) – You can take pictures here.
Asking about ability or possibility
Questioning whether someone can do something or if something is possible.
Example: 日本語が話せますか。(Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka?) – Can you speak Japanese?
📊
Frequency
Very common in both spoken and written Japanese.
🎚️
Difficulty
Easy to Moderate for N4 learners. The main challenge is correct conjugation and particle usage.
Example Sentences
辛いものが食べられます。
I can eat spicy food. (食べる – Group 2)
このアパートはペットが飼えません。
You can’t keep pets in this apartment. (飼う – Group 1, ~える potential)
来週のパーティーに来られますか。
Can you come to the party next week? (くる – Irregular)
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Expresses potential (ability or possibility).
The core meaning is “can” or “is possible”. It differs from the plain form which just states the action.
Example: 日本語を話します。(Speak Japanese) vs 日本語が話せます。(Can speak Japanese).
Particle change: を -> が
When the verb takes a direct object marked with を, the particle often changes to が in the potential form.
Example: 本を読みます。(Read a book) -> 本が読めます。(Can read a book). Note: を is sometimes kept, especially with できる.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Confusing Potential (~られる) and Passive (~られる) forms for Group 2 verbs.
✅ Understand the context and the subject. Potential: Subject *can* do. Passive: Subject *is acted upon*.
例: 先生にほめられます。(Passive: I was praised by the teacher) vs. 難しい本も読められます。(Potential: I can read difficult books).
❌ Incorrectly conjugating irregular verbs する and くる.
✅ Memorize the special potential forms: する -> できる, くる -> こられる.
Do not try to apply the ~られる rule directly (like しられる or きられる).

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. Politeness is conveyed by the ending (~ます, ~です).
Social Situations: Used widely in describing personal abilities, asking about others’ abilities, and stating possibilities related to objects or situations.
Regional Variations: Standard form across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

Potential form (~られる/える/れる) vs. Verb + ことができる
Both mean “can do”. The potential verb form is often felt as expressing a more inherent or natural ability, while ~ことができる is more general, can be used for any verb type, and sometimes implies learned skill or a specific opportunity.
When to use: Potential verb form is common in everyday speech. ~ことができる is useful if you are unsure of the potential conjugation or want to sound slightly more formal or emphasize a learned skill.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

Group 2 Verbs: Remove final る, add られる (e.g., 食べる -> 食べられる) Irregular Verbs: する -> できる, くる -> こられる (Note: Group 1 verbs use ~える/~れる conjugation)

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pay attention to the vowel length in られる (ra-re-ru). Practice linking the stem to the ending smoothly.

🧠 Memory Tips

Associate ~られる with “can” for Group 2 verbs. Remember the irregular exceptions: できる and こられる. Use sentence examples to practice.

Practice Exercises
Choose the correct potential form of 食べる.
食べれる
食べます
食べられる
食べるます
Which particle is typically used with the object in a potential sentence like 「日本語___話せます」?
を
が
に
で

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