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Lesson 27 — 可能動詞かのうどうし(potential) · 見みえます/聞きこえます · しか

BOOK II · 初級 II みんなの日本語 · Mini no Nihongo

L27 · potential form

Name Date

REF可能動詞かのうどうし(potential) · 見みえます/聞きこえます · しか

Making the potential form

GroupRuleExample
1 godanu-row → e-row + る
2 ichidanる → られる
3 irreg.—

All potential verbs conjugate as Group II: 書かける → 書かけない → 書かけた → 書かけなかった → 書かけて.

Casual ら抜ぬき (食たべれる) is common in speech but MNN tests 食たべられる.

Particle change: を → が

The object of a potential verb normally takes が. Other particles (へ・に・で) stay unchanged: 「一人ひとりで行いけます」

Potential vs ことができます (L18)

可能動詞かのうどうし〜ことができます
shorter, conversationallonger, more formal

見みえます / 聞きこえます vs potential

FormMeaningExample
comes into view naturally, no effort
able to see because circumstances allow
reaches the ear naturally
able to listen because you have access

見みえます/聞きこえます describe things arriving at your senses unbidden. 見みられます/聞きけます describe anopportunity.

できます — additional uses

(came into being)

(is ready)

しか +否定ひてい — only / nothing but

/

だけしか〜ない
neutral "only"emphasizes insufficiency

しか always pairs with a negative verb, and it replaces は/が/を.

Contrastive は

Both contrasted items take は, even when they'd normally take を or が.

Set expressions会話かいわ

Key vocabulary

見みえます聞きこえますできます開あきます飼かいます心配しんぱいしますペット動物どうぶつ景色けしき夜景やけい波なみラッシュ建物たてものひらがなマンション入学にゅうがくはっきりしかだけ

詳説 In depth — grammar notes

Building the potential form

Group 1 shifts the final u-row kana to the e-row and adds る. Every column of the u-row has an e-row partner, so this is mechanical.

EndingDictionaryPotentialます-form

becomes , not — the same quirk as the ない-form, where う becomes わ.

GroupRuleExample
2 (ichidan)
3 (irregular)special forms

has no potential — the potential of する is . ( exists, but it is the passive, L37.)

Every potential verb is a Group 2 verb

Once formed, it conjugates like — including the ones built from Group 1.

Form書かける食たべられる
polite
negative
past
past negative
て-form
plain + noun

Casual speech drops the ら — (ら抜ぬき言葉ことば). You will hear it constantly; textbooks and exams still want .

Verbs with no potential form

A verb has to describe something you do before it can describe something you can do. Verbs that already express a state or a spontaneous event are blocked.

VerbWhy
already means "is understandable"
already the potential of する
spontaneous perception, not an action
existence, not an action

を becomes が

The object of a potential verb normally switches to が, because the sentence is no longer about acting on it — it is about a property of the situation.

PlainPotential

Only を changes. all stay: ○ · ✕.

を is not wrong either — is said, and it keeps the focus on the act rather than on your ability. が is the default and the one to produce; recognise を when you meet it.

In the negative, が usually gives way to contrastive は: — "kanji, I can't read (though other things I can)".

可能動詞かのうどうし vs 〜ことができます

可能動詞かのうどうし〜ことができます
short, everyday speechlonger, formal or written
object takes がobject keeps を
default in conversationnotices, rules, announcements

Both cover ability and permission. On a sign — — the long form is the norm.

見みえます/聞きこえます vs 見みられます/聞きけます

Two different ideas that English flattens into "can see". is your senses receiving something unbidden; is having the opportunity.

FormMeaningExample
comes into view on its own
circumstances allow you to see it
reaches your ears on its own
you have access to listen
Ask yourselfThen use
Could you avoid it by closing your eyes or covering your ears?
Did someone or something have to make it possible?

Both take が for the thing perceived, and neither has a を version: ✕ → ○.

The same "arrives at my senses" pattern reappears in L47 with .

できます beyond ability

MeaningExample
be able to
come into being / be built
be ready / be finished
be made (a friend)

All four share one idea: something has come into a state of existing or being available. Ability is just the version where the something is a capacity of yours.

しか +否定ひてい

means "only", but it is loaded: it says the amount is not enough. The verb must be negative even though the meaning is positive.

だけしか〜ない
neutral "only""only — and that's a problem"
verb stays affirmativeverb must be negative
Particle it meetsResultExample
replaced
kept, しか added after
may stack for emphasis

A positive verb after しか is always wrong: ✕ → ○.

Contrastive は

は has a second job beyond marking the topic: setting one thing against another. In that job it displaces が and を, and stacks onto に・で・へ.

SentenceWhat is contrasted
wine vs beer — both take は
が displaced in a potential sentence
に survives, は attaches
implies: but something else, I do

Negative sentences attract contrastive は on their own, which is why sounds far more natural than .

Error table

✕○Why
only を switches to が — へ ·に ·で stay
見みえます is intransitive
the potential of する is できる
しか demands a negative
no effort or permission involved

Try translating

EnglishJapanese
I can read hiragana, but I can't read kanji.
Can you swim?
You can see the sea from the window.
I only have 100 yen.
A big supermarket has been built in front of the station.
You can listen to CDs here.

練習 Practice — 10 questions

  1. Q1 G1 · potential

    Potential form of 書かきます

    書 か
    く
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A godan: u→e + る/ます: 書かける
  2. Q2 G1 · potential

    Potential form of 飲のみます

    飲 の
    む
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B む→め: 飲のめる
  3. Q3 G2 · potential

    Potential form of 食たべます

    食 た
    べ
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B ichidan: る→られる (ら抜ぬき common in speech but MNN tests られる)
  4. Q4 G3 · potential

    Potential form of します

    す
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    C する → できる
  5. Q5 G3 · potential

    Potential form of来きます

    来 く
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B 来くる→来こられる(こられる)
  6. Q6 を→が shift

    'I can speak Japanese.' — pick the particle.

    日本語 にほんご
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Object of potential verb takes が
  7. Q7 見えます vs 見られます

    'The sea is visible from the window.' (naturally in sight)

    見 み
    え
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Comes into view without effort = 見みえます
  8. Q8 見えます vs 見られます

    'This movie can be seen until Sunday.' (circumstances allow)

    見 み
    ら
    れ
    る
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Possible due to circumstances = 見みられます
  9. Q9 しか + negative

    'I only have 100 yen.' (nothing but)

    し
    か
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B しか ALWAYS pairs with negative
  10. Q10 contrastive は

    'I drink wine, but I don't drink beer.' — contrast は

    は
    …
    は
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A Both contrasted items take は

解答 Answer key

  1. Q1 A godan: u→e + る/ます: 書かける
  2. Q2 B む→め: 飲のめる
  3. Q3 B ichidan: る→られる (ら抜ぬき common in speech but MNN tests られる)
  4. Q4 C する → できる
  5. Q5 B 来くる→来こられる(こられる)
  6. Q6 B Object of potential verb takes が
  7. Q7 B Comes into view without effort = 見みえます
  8. Q8 B Possible due to circumstances = 見みられます
  9. Q9 B しか ALWAYS pairs with negative
  10. Q10 A Both contrasted items take は