Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“can do”, “to be able to do”, “it is possible to do”
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate that someone or something possesses the ability to perform an action, or that an action is possible.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Plain Form) + ことができます
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used in formal speech and writing.
Informal Situations
Used commonly in informal speech.
Written Language
Frequently used in formal and informal writing.
Spoken Language
Very common in daily conversation.
💡 Common Applications
Stating personal abilities.
Used to say what a person is capable of doing (a skill or inherent ability).
Example: 私は日本語を話すことができます。(Watashi wa Nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu.) – I can speak Japanese.
Expressing possibility or feasibility.
Used to say that an action is possible or allowed under certain conditions.
Example: ここでタバコを吸うことができます。(Koko de tabako o suu koto ga dekimasu.) – You can smoke here. (It is possible/allowed).
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Frequency
Very frequent. It’s a core way to express ability/possibility.
Difficulty
Relatively easy for N4 learners. The main challenge is correctly conjugating the verb to the plain form.
Example Sentences
日本語で手紙を書くことができます。
I can write letters in Japanese.
この電車は京都へ行くことができます。
This train can go to Kyoto. (It is possible to go to Kyoto by this train).
来週、会議に出席することができます。
I can attend the meeting next week. (It is possible for me to attend).
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Verb form must be the plain form (dictionary form, ない form, た form, etc.).
You cannot attach ことができます directly to the ます form or て form.
Example: 食べます → 食べることができる (〇), 食べる → 食べることができる (〇). 食べますことができる (✕)
Often interchangeable with potential form verbs (-れる/-られる) when expressing ability.
Both can express ability, but ことができる can also express possibility/feasibility where the potential form might sound slightly unnatural.
Example: 泳ぐことができる (oyogu koto ga dekiru) – I can swim / It is possible to swim. 泳げる (oyogeru) – I can swim. (Ability)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using the ます form before ことができる.
✅ Use the plain form (dictionary form, ない form, た form).
The structure requires the verb in its plain, non-polite form.
❌ Confusing ability with permission or obligation when the context isn’t clear.
✅ Pay attention to the surrounding context. While it *can* imply possibility (like ‘can’ meaning ‘allowed’), its primary sense is ability or general possibility. For strict permission, -てもいいです is clearer.
ことができる is more about *capability* or *feasibility*, not explicit permission.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to polite depending on the ending ます/ません.
Social Situations: Used in most social situations.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations for this basic pattern.
🔍 Subtle Differences
ことができる vs Potential Form Verbs (-れる/-られる).
ことができる is generally used for both ability (skill) and possibility/feasibility. Potential verbs often focus more purely on ability. ことができる is also used for inanimate objects or general possibilities.
When to use: Use ことができる when you want to emphasize the possibility or when the subject isn’t necessarily a person with a skill (e.g., a train going somewhere). Use potential form when the focus is purely on someone’s personal ability. In many cases expressing personal ability, they are interchangeable.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Verb plain form (dictionary form, ない form, た form) + ことができる.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Standard pronunciation. こと is pronounced ‘koto’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of 「こと」 as turning the verb into a noun-like concept, and 「できる」 as “is possible” or “can do”. “The possibility of doing [verb] exists.”
Practice Exercises
(私)は(寿司)を(______)ことができます。 (I can make sushi.)
作ります
作る
作って
作った
この公園では(______)ことができますか？ (Can you play here in this park?)
遊びます
遊ぶ
遊んで
遊んだ
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.
