The Japanese Potential Form: How to Say “Can” in Japanese

The Japanese potential form says what someone can do. For most verbs you change the final -u sound to -eru (書く kaku → 書ける kakeru, can write) or swap -ru for -rareru (食べる taberu → 食べられる taberareru, can eat). する becomes できる and 来る becomes 来られる. The result behaves like an ordinary ichidan verb, so 書けます, 書けない and 書けた all follow the usual patterns.

How to make the potential form

Verb group	Rule	Examples
Group 1 (godan)	Final -u → -eru	話す→話せる, 飲む→飲める, 行く→行ける, 待つ→待てる
Group 2 (ichidan)	-ru → -rareru	食べる→食べられる, 見る→見られる, 起きる→起きられる
Irregular	Learn by heart	する→できる, 来る→来られる (こられる)

If you need a refresher on the groups, see Japanese verb conjugation basics. Once you have the potential verb, conjugate it like 食べる: 話せます (can speak), 話せません (can’t speak), 話せた (could speak), 話せたら (if I could speak).

Particles: を often becomes が

With potential verbs, the thing you can do is usually marked with が: 日本語が話せます (I can speak Japanese). You will also hear 日本語を話せます, especially in casual speech and with longer phrases, and it isn’t wrong, but が is the safe choice in writing and exams. Other particles such as に and で stay the same: 一人で行けます (I can go on my own).

Everyday sentences

Japanese	Say it	Meaning
少し日本語が話せます。	sukoshi nihongo ga hanasemasu.	I can speak a little Japanese.
生の魚は食べられません。	nama no sakana wa taberaremasen.	I can’t eat raw fish.
ここでカードは使えますか。	koko de kādo wa tsukaemasu ka.	Can I use a card here?
明日は来られますか。	ashita wa koraremasu ka.	Can you come tomorrow?
漢字がまだあまり読めません。	kanji ga mada amari yomemasen.	I still can’t read many kanji.
やっと泳げるようになりました。	yatto oyogeru yō ni narimashita.	I’ve finally learned to swim.

The last pattern, potential form + ようになる, describes a skill you have gained, and it’s a natural way to talk about your progress in Japanese.

Potential form or ことができる?

話すことができます means the same as 話せます. The longer version sounds a little more formal and written, and it works the same way for every verb, which is handy when you are unsure of a conjugation. In conversation, the short potential form is far more common.

Common mistakes and things to know

“Ra-nuki” forms. In casual speech many people say 食べれる, 見れる and 来れる, dropping the ら. You’ll hear them everywhere, but use the full forms in exams, writing and polite situations.
見える and 聞こえる. 見える (to be visible) and 聞こえる (to be audible) describe things that come to your eyes or ears by themselves: 富士山が見える. 見られる and 聞ける mean you have the chance to see or hear something: この映画はネットで見られる.
Confusing it with the passive. For group 2 verbs, 食べられる can be potential or passive. Context decides. See the Japanese passive and causative.
Using it to ask favours. 手伝えますか asks whether someone is able to help. To ask for help politely, say 手伝っていただけますか. See giving and receiving in Japanese.

How Hanabuddies can help

The potential form is quick to learn and slow to use without thinking. Our native tutors teach one-to-one online and give you real situations to practise it in, such as explaining what you can and can’t eat, what you can do at work, or how your Japanese has improved, so the forms come out naturally in conversation.