Verb Potential Form

Learn how to express the ability to do something using the Potential Form.

Introduction to the Potential Form

The Potential Form expresses 'can' or 'be able to': 食べられる (can eat), 書ける (can write), できる (can do). It conveys the same meaning as the longer pattern 〜ことができる, but is more natural and concise in conversation.

One important grammar change: in potential sentences, the object particle often shifts from を to が. You say 日本語が話せる (can speak Japanese), not 日本語を話せる — though the を version is increasingly common in casual speech.

Potential verbs themselves conjugate as Group 2 verbs, so they can be further transformed into te-form, past, negative, and other forms. In colloquial Japanese, Group 2 potential forms often drop the ら (食べられる → 食べれる) — this is called ら抜き (ra-nuki) and is widely used but considered informal.

Potential Form Conjugation

The rules for forming the potential form depend on the verb group.

For Group 1 verbs, change the final '~u' sound to the corresponding '~e' sound and add る.

Dictionary Form	Potential Form
買うかう	買えるかえる
待つまつ	待てるまてる
帰るかえる	帰れるかえれる
飲むのむ	飲めるのめる
死ぬしぬ	死ねるしねる
遊ぶあそぶ	遊べるあそべる
書くかく	書けるかける
泳ぐおよぐ	泳げるおよげ
話すはなす	話せるはなせる

Conjugation Examples

漢字が書けます。
I can write kanji.
5キロ泳げます。
I can swim five kilometers.
日本語の新聞が読めます。
I can read Japanese newspapers.
自転車に乗れます。
I can ride a bicycle.

Particle Change (を → が)

When using the potential form, the particle を (direct object) is often replaced by が to indicate the object of the ability.

Examples

漢字が読めます。
I can read kanji.

Further Conjugation

Once a verb is transformed into its potential form, it always conjugates as a Group 2 verb, regardless of its original group. This means you simply drop the final る to add other endings.

Potential	Te-form	Masu-form	Nai-form	Ta-form
書ける	書けて	書けます	書けない	書けた
食べられる	食べられて	食べられます	食べられない	食べられた
できる	できて	できます	できない	できた

Verb 1書ける

Te-form

書けて

Masu-form

書けます

Nai-form

書けない

Ta-form

書けた

Verb 2食べられる

Te-form

食べられて

Masu-form

食べられます

Nai-form

食べられない

Ta-form

食べられた

Verb 3できる

Te-form

できて

Masu-form

できます

Nai-form

できない

Ta-form

できた

Examples

漢字が書けます。
I can write kanji.
早く走れません。
I cannot run fast.
お酒が飲めて、良かったです。
It was good that I could drink alcohol.
ピアノが弾けました。
I could play the piano.

Colloquial Usage: ら抜き (らぬき / "ら-dropping")

In casual speech, many speakers drop ら from the potential form (not passive) of Group 2 verbs and the irregular verb 来る (くる):

Standard (Potential):

食べられる

can eat

→

Colloquial (ら抜き):

食べれる

can eat (casual)

Passive (NO dropping):

食べられる

to be eaten

Standard (Potential):

来られる

can come

→

Colloquial (ら抜き):

来れる

can come (casual)

Passive (NO dropping):

来られる

to have someone come (suffering passive)

Note: While very common in spoken Japanese, ら抜き is considered grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing.

Spontaneous vs. Potential

Japanese distinguishes between things that naturally enter your senses and things you have the ability or opportunity to perceive.

Vision

Spontaneous

見える

Visible; enters eye naturally (no intent needed).

窓から海が見えます。

The sea is visible from the window.

Ability / Opportunity

見られる

Can see/watch; have the ability or opportunity (active intent).

このアプリで映画が見られます。

You can watch movies on this app.

Hearing

Spontaneous

聞こえる

Audible; enters ear naturally (no intent needed).

隣の部屋から声が聞こえます。

I can hear a voice from the next room.

Ability / Opportunity

聞ける

Can hear/listen; have the ability or opportunity (active intent).

ラジオでニュースが聞けます。

You can hear the news on the radio.