| |
Potential verbs are used to say that someone "can" or "has the ability
to" do something, or that something is possible |
| |
Constructing potential verbs:
|
| |
ru-verbs: |
| |
Drop the final -ru and add -rareru |
| 見る -> 見られる
|
to see, to watch - seeing is possible |
|
miru - mirareru |
|
| |
u-verbs: |
| |
Drop the final -u and add -eru |
| 行く -> 行ける
|
to go - going is possible |
| iku - ikeru |
|
| |
|
| |
Irregular verbs: |
| くる -> こられる
|
to arrive - arriving is possible |
| kuru - korareru |
|
| する -> できる
|
to be - to be able to |
| suru - dekiru |
|
| |
|
| |
Alternative potential forms:
|
| |
(drop the ra from rareru,
only for -ru verbs)
|
| 出る ->
出れる |
to leave, to exit - exiting is possible |
|
deru - dereru |
|
| 見る -> 見れる |
to see, to watch - seeing is possible |
|
miru - mireru |
|
| くる -> これる
|
to arrive - arriving is possible |
| kuru - koreru |
|
| |
|
| |
Potential Verbs themselves conjugate as regular
ru-verbs. |
| 私は日本語が話せます。 |
I can speak Japanese. |
| watashi-wa nihongo-ga hanasemasu. |
|
| 私は泳げないんです。 |
(The truth is) I cannot swim. |
|
watashi-wa oyoge-nai n desu. |
|
| 雨が降ったので、海にいけませんでした。 |
We could not go to the beach, because it
rained. |
| ame-ga futta no de, umi-ni ikemasen deshita. |
|
| |
|
| |
Potential Verb Conjugation Chart
|
| |
Present: |
| |
Short Forms -
|
| 見られる |
Affirmative |
| mirareru |
|
| 見られない |
Negative |
| mirare-nai |
|
| |
Long Forms -
|
| 見られます |
Affirmative |
| mirare-masu |
|
|
見られません
|
Negative |
| mirare-masen |
|
| |
|
| |
Past: |
| |
Short Forms -
|
| 見られた
|
Affirmative |
| mirareta |
|
| 見られなかった |
Negative |
| mirare-nakatta |
|
| |
Long Forms -
|
| 見られました |
Affirmative |
| mirare-mashita |
|
| 見られませんでした
|
Negative |
| mirare-masen deshita |
|
| |
te-form: |
| 見られて |
|
|
mirarete |
|
| |
|
| |
Those verbs that take the particle wo [o]
can take either wo [o] or ga when they have
been made into the potential.
dekiru (able to do), the potential counterpart of the
verb suru (to do), is somewhat special, and takes ga almost all the time.
(The use of wo [o] with dekiru is considered
highly substandard.)
All particles other than wo [o] remain the same when
the verb is turned into the potential. |
| |
Verbs with wo [o] |
| 漢字を読む－＞漢字が読める、漢字を読める |
to read Chinese characters - to be able
to read Chinese characters |
|
kanji-o yomu - kanji-ga yomeru, kanji-o yomeru |
|
| |
suru -> dekiru |
| 仕事をするー＞仕事ができる |
to do work - to be able to (do) work |
|
shigoto-o suru - shigoto-ga dekiru |
|
| |
Other particles do not change |
| 山に登るー＞山に登れる |
to climb a mountain - to be able to climb a
mountain |
| yama-ni noboru - yama-ni noboreru |
|
