Lesson 37 of 126
The lesson
3.11 Potential Form
Overview
The potential form is used to say that someone can or is able to do something. It is one of the most useful verb forms for talking about your abilities and skills.
Forming the potential
The potential form changes depending on the verb group.
ru-verbs: drop る and add られる
u-verbs: change the final vowel from the u-row to the e-row, then add る
Irregular verbs:
できる — the most important potential verb
For する-compound verbs (勉強する, 運動する, etc.), the potential is できる. It is also used on its own to express general ability.
が or を
With potential verbs, the object can be marked with が or を. が is very natural and common, especially in spoken Japanese.
Saying "I can't do X"
Use the negative form: ～られない (ru-verbs) or the e-row + ない (u-verbs).
Saying "I could do X" (past)
Conjugate the potential verb in the past tense.
Note: potential and passive look the same for ru-verbs
For ru-verbs, the potential and passive forms are identical.
Dialogue
にほんご日本語のべんきょう勉強をはじめて始めて、もうろっかげつ六ヶ月になります。 さいしょ最初はひらがな平仮名もよめませんでした読めませんでしたが、いま今はすらすらよめます読めます。 かたかな片仮名もすこし少しよめる読めるようになりました。
せんしゅう先週、にほんじん日本人のともだち友達とすこし少しはなせました話せました。 きんちょう緊張しましたが、かんたん簡単なあいさつ挨拶ならいえます言えます。 きごう「ありがとうきごう」やきごう「どうぞきごう」はじしん自信をもって持っていえます言えます。
でも、まだかんじ漢字がなかなかかけません書けません。 むずかしい難しいぶんしょう文章も、まだぜんぶ全部はよめません読めません。 ききとり聞き取りも、あいて相手がゆっくりはなして話してくれないとわかりません分かりません。
それでも、こんにち今日じゅぎょう授業でせんせい先生のはなし話がすこし少しききとれて聞き取れて、とてもうれしかったです。 にほんご日本語でめえるメールがかける書けるようになるのがもくひょう目標です。 まいにち毎日すこしずつ少しずつれんしゅう練習すれば、きっとできるようになるとおもいます思います。
It's already been six months since I started studying Japanese. At first, I couldn't even read hiragana, but now I can read it fluently. I've also become able to read katakana a little.
Last week, I was able to speak a little with a Japanese friend. I was nervous, but I can say simple greetings. I can say "arigatou" and "douzo" with confidence.
But I still can't write kanji very well. I also can't read difficult texts all the way through yet. With listening, I can't understand unless the other person speaks slowly.
Even so, today in class I was able to catch a little of what the teacher said, and I was very happy. My goal is to become able to write emails in Japanese. I think if I practice a little every day, I will surely become able to do it.
New words
Grammar
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