Potential form

 We use the potential verb to say that someone “can”, or “has the ability to,” do something, or that something is “possible.”　

Examples 

• わたしは　にほんご　が　はなせます/I can speak Japanese
• わたしは　およげないです/I cannot swim
• あめがふったので、うみ　に　いけませんでした/We could not go to the beach, because it rained.

  

The rules listed below:

Verb category	dictionary form	Potential verbs	How to conjugate	Note
Ru-verb	みる (see)	みられる/みれる	Replace る with られる/れる	※By adding the suffix-れる、instead of -られる is gaining popularity
U-verb	いく i ku (go)	いける i ke ru	Replace final -u with -eru
irregular	くる (come)	こられる/これる	Replace first letter くwith こ　and replace る with られる/れる	※By adding the suffix-れる、instead of -られる is gaining popularity
	する (do)	できる	Replace す with でき

 

 If you are familiar with verb categories, see the section «How verbs are categorized” in the article: Verb conjugation (present tense)

 

Note   The verbs that take the particle" を "can take either "を "or　"が "when they have been made into the potential, like: かんじ　を　よめる　or 　かんじ　が　よめる    "できる”, the potential counterpart of the verb “する”, is somewhat special, and takes "が "almost all the time. しごと　が　できる    verbs with particles other than を やま　に　のぼれる　（No particle change involved)

 Exercises 

Genki 2 workbook

Genki 2