Potential Form in Japanese

In Brief

The Japanese potential form expresses that someone can do something or that an action is possible. Godan verbs change their final u-row sound to the corresponding e-row sound plus る (書く → 書ける), while ichidan verbs replace る with られる (食べる → 食べられる); する becomes できる and 来る becomes 来られる. The thing that can be done often takes が, although を is also widely used.

Overview

The potential form, 可能形（かのうけい）, is a verb form used for ability and possibility. It lets you say that you can speak a language, cannot attend an event, can buy something in a particular shop, or are able to see a film online. English normally places a separate modal verb—“can”—before another verb. Japanese usually changes the main verb itself: 読む means “read,” while 読める means “can read.”

This form is commonly introduced at B1, after the plain or dictionary forms. Before forming it, you need to identify the verb group: a godan verb (a verb whose final kana changes row during conjugation), an ichidan verb (a verb that normally drops its final る before an ending), or one of the two irregular verbs. Verbs ending in る are not automatically ichidan: 食べる is ichidan, but 帰る is godan.

Potential verbs have more than one English equivalent. Depending on context, 話せる may mean “can speak,” “be able to speak,” or “it is possible to speak.” Japanese often leaves out the person who has the ability when the context makes that person clear, so 日本語が話せます can naturally mean “I can speak Japanese,” “she can speak Japanese,” or “do you speak Japanese?” in the right conversation.

How It Works

Godan verbs: change to the e-row and add る

Take the final kana of the dictionary form, move it from the u-row to the matching e-row, and add る. The resulting potential verb behaves grammatically like an ichidan verb.

Dictionary ending	Potential ending	Dictionary form	Potential form	Meaning
う	える	買う	買える	can buy
く	ける	書く	書ける	can write
ぐ	げる	泳ぐ	泳げる	can swim
す	せる	話す	話せる	can speak
つ	てる	待つ	待てる	can wait
ぬ	ねる	死ぬ	死ねる	can die
ぶ	べる	遊ぶ	遊べる	can play
む	める	読む	読める	can read
る	れる	帰る	帰れる	can return

This is a sound change, not simply the addition of える to the written word. 読む becomes 読める, not 読むえる. Also keep godan る-verbs separate from ichidan verbs: 帰る becomes 帰れる, whereas 食べる becomes 食べられる.

Ichidan verbs: replace る with られる

Remove the final る and add られる.

Dictionary form	Stem	Potential form	Meaning
食べる	食べ	食べられる	can eat
見る	見	見られる	can see/watch
起きる	起き	起きられる	can get up
開ける	開け	開けられる	can open

In everyday conversation, many speakers use a shorter form without ら: 食べれる, 見れる, and 起きれる. This is called ら抜き言葉（らぬきことば）, literally “language with ら removed.” It is common in speech but is not the safest default for formal writing, examinations, or careful business communication. Learn the standard forms first.

The irregular verbs する and 来る

Dictionary form	Potential form	Reading	Meaning
する	できる	できる	can do
来る	来られる	こられる	can come

Do not form the potential of する as すれる. With a noun + する verb, replace する with できる: 運転する → 運転できる “can drive,” 予約する → 予約できる “can make a reservation.” In casual speech, 来れる（これる）is also heard, but 来られる（こられる）is the standard form.

Conjugating a potential verb

Once formed, potential verbs conjugate like ichidan verbs, even when the original verb was godan. Start from 話せる “can speak” and remove る before adding the usual endings.

Meaning	Plain	Polite
can speak	話せる	話せます
cannot speak	話せない	話せません
could speak / managed to speak	話せた	話せました
could not speak	話せなかった	話せませんでした

The same pattern works with 食べられる, できる, and 来られる: 食べられない, できました, 来られませんでした. Japanese has no separate present and future verb forms, so 来られます may mean “can come” or “will be able to come,” depending on context.

Marking the thing affected: が and を

With an ordinary transitive verb (a verb that acts on something), the thing acted on is normally marked by を: 漢字を読む “read kanji.” In a potential sentence, that thing is often marked by が: 漢字が読める “can read kanji.” Here, 漢字 is the thing that is readable or within someone’s ability.

Ordinary action	Potential with が	Potential with を
日本語を話す	日本語が話せる	日本語を話せる
漢字を読む	漢字が読める	漢字を読める
ピアノを弾く	ピアノが弾ける	ピアノを弾ける

Both が and を occur with potential verbs in modern Japanese. が is the traditional, highly teachable pattern and often highlights the object as the thing one is capable of handling. を can preserve a stronger sense of an intentional action, and is especially natural in many spoken sentences. For a clear beginner default, use が; then learn to recognize and use を from real examples rather than treating it as an error.

The person with the ability may be marked by は when stated: 私は日本語が話せます. は marks the topic—the person or thing the sentence is about. In conversation, 私は is usually unnecessary when “I” is already obvious.

Ability, circumstances, and permission

Potential forms can describe learned skill, physical capacity, or circumstances that make an action possible:

• 妹は三か国語が話せる。— “My younger sister can speak three languages.”
• 足が痛くて歩けない。— “My leg hurts, so I can’t walk.”
• このカードで払えます。— “You can pay with this card.”

A sign such as ここで写真が撮れます may indicate that taking photos is possible there, and may imply that it is allowed. However, grammatical possibility is not always explicit permission. To ask or grant permission directly, use ～てもいい: ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか “May I take photos here?”

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
日本語が話せます。	I can speak Japanese.	Polite statement of ability
漢字が読めますか？	Can you read kanji?	Polite question; the person is omitted
今日は来られません。	I can’t come today.	Standard potential of 来る
ここで泳げます。	You can swim here.	Circumstances make the action possible
この店ではカードで払えます。	You can pay by card at this shop.	で marks the means of payment
暗くて何も見えません。	It is dark, so I can’t see anything.	見える describes what is naturally visible
この映画はオンラインで見られます。	You can watch this film online.	Potential of 見る
辛い物が食べられますか？	Can you eat spicy food?	Standard ichidan potential
子どものころは速く走れなかった。	I couldn’t run fast when I was a child.	Plain past negative
練習したので、やっと泳げるようになりました。	I practised, so I finally learned to swim.	～ようになる expresses a change in ability
明日なら参加できます。	If tomorrow works, I can participate.	Noun + する becomes noun + できる
電車が止まって、時間どおりに帰れませんでした。	The trains stopped, so I couldn’t get home on time.	Inability caused by circumstances
この図書館では古い新聞も読める。	You can also read old newspapers at this library.	Plain style; を is also possible
声が小さくて、よく聞こえません。	Your voice is quiet, so I can’t hear you well.	聞こえる means a sound reaches the listener

Common Mistakes

Using the ichidan rule with every verb ending in る

• Wrong: 帰られる for “can return”
• Right: 帰れる
• Why: 帰る is a godan verb, so る changes to れる. 帰られる can instead be interpreted as a passive or honorific form in context.

Adding できる after a potential verb

• Wrong: 日本語が話せることができます。
• Right: 日本語が話せます。 / 日本語を話すことができます。
• Why: 話せる already contains the meaning “can speak.” Either use the potential verb or the pattern dictionary form + ことができる, not both together.

Conjugating the potential form as though it were still godan

• Wrong: 読めらない
• Right: 読めない
• Why: 読む is godan, but its potential form 読める conjugates as ichidan. Remove る, then add ない.

Confusing potential and passive forms

• Wrong interpretation: 魚が食べられる always means “The fish is eaten.”
• Right: It can mean “I/someone can eat fish” or “The fish is eaten,” depending on context.
• Why: For ichidan verbs, the standard potential and passive forms look identical. Particles, topic, and context distinguish them: 私は魚が食べられる strongly favors ability; 魚は猫に食べられた is clearly passive because 猫に names the agent.

Treating potential as an unambiguous permission form

• Wrong: Using ここで座れますか when you specifically mean “May I sit here?”
• Right: ここに座ってもいいですか？
• Why: 座れますか can ask whether sitting is physically or practically possible. ～てもいいですか directly asks permission.

Making a potential form from わかる

• Wrong: 日本語がわかれる for “can understand Japanese”
• Right: 日本語がわかる
• Why: わかる already expresses that something is understandable to someone. わかれる is a different verb meaning “separate” or “split up.”

Usage Notes

Potential form versus ～ことができる

The pattern dictionary form + ことができる also means “can do”: 漢字を読むことができます. It is longer and often feels more formal, explicit, or suitable for written information. The potential form 漢字が読めます is shorter and extremely common in ordinary conversation. Both can describe ability or practical possibility.

The particle before こと remains the one required by the original verb: 漢字を読むことができる. This differs from the common potential construction 漢字が読める.

見える and 聞こえる are not simply potential forms

見られる means “can look at/watch” and 聞ける means “can listen to/ask,” usually implying an opportunity or deliberate action. 見える and 聞こえる describe something naturally entering your sight or hearing, without emphasizing an attempt.

• 富士山が見える。— “Mount Fuji is visible / I can see Mount Fuji.”
• ここから富士山が見られる。— “You can view Mount Fuji from here.”
• 音楽が聞こえる。— “I can hear music.”
• このアプリでラジオが聞ける。— “You can listen to the radio with this app.”

English uses “can see” and “can hear” for both ideas, so this distinction deserves deliberate practice.

Potential forms do not always translate English “could”

A past potential such as 会えた means that meeting was possible and often that it actually happened: “I was able to meet.” English “could” can also make a polite suggestion or describe an unreal possibility. Those meanings may require other Japanese patterns. For example, “We could go tomorrow” may be 明日行ってもいい or 明日なら行ける, depending on whether it is a suggestion or a statement about availability.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Expressing a change in ability

To say that someone acquires or loses an ability, use potential plain form + ようになる:

• 日本語が少し話せるようになった。— “I have become able to speak a little Japanese.”
• 眼鏡をかけたら、よく見えるようになった。— “After putting on glasses, I became able to see clearly.”
• 忙しくて、最近は運動できなくなった。— “I’ve become unable to exercise lately because I’m busy.”

This is often more natural than translating English “learned to” word for word. It focuses on the change from not being able to do something to being able to do it.

Ichidan ambiguity: potential, passive, and honorific

The ending られる has several jobs. With ichidan verbs and 来る, the same visible form may be potential, passive, or respectful language. 先生は刺身を食べられます could mean “The teacher can eat sashimi” or use 食べられます respectfully to mean “The teacher eats sashimi.” A passive interpretation is also grammatically possible in a suitable sentence. Context and particle patterns usually resolve the ambiguity.

The colloquial shortened potential 食べれる removes some ambiguity because it can only be understood as potential, but this does not make it appropriate in every register. In formal contexts, retain ら and make the intended meaning clear through the sentence around it.

Potential within larger grammar patterns

Because a potential form behaves like an ichidan verb, it can appear before nouns and inside other constructions:

• 誰でも作れる料理 — “a dish anyone can make”
• 行けるかどうかわからない — “I don’t know whether I can go”
• できれば、早めに来てください。— “If possible, please come early.”
• 食べられなくても心配しないで。— “Don’t worry even if you can’t eat it.”

Notice that relative clauses (clauses placed before a noun to describe it) need no word equivalent to English “that”: 誰でも作れる directly modifies 料理.

Practice Tips

1. Sort verbs before transforming them. Make three lists—godan, ichidan, and irregular—and convert five verbs from each list. Say the dictionary and potential forms as a pair: 書く・書ける, 食べる・食べられる, する・できる.
2. Build four-form chains. For each new potential verb, practise affirmative, negative, past, and past negative: 読める → 読めない → 読めた → 読めなかった. Then repeat the chain politely.
3. Describe real abilities and constraints. Write sentences about languages, food, transport, technology, and tomorrow’s schedule. Alternate が and を where both sound natural, and contrast deliberate 見られる・聞ける with spontaneous 見える・聞こえる.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Plain/Dictionary Form — provides the verb forms and conjugation groups needed to build the potential.
• Next step: Passive Voice — helps distinguish passive られる from identical ichidan potential forms.
• Next step: Causative Form — builds another important verb transformation for expressing “make” and “let.”