The Japanese Potential Form: What It Means & vs 〜ことができる [JLPT N4]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated August 6, 2026

“I can speak Japanese” — what kind of “can” the potential expresses, why it takes が, and how it differs from 〜ことができる.

「日本語が話せる」 — the potential form and 「ら抜き言葉」

「私は日本語が少し話せます」 (I can speak a little Japanese) — the potential form means “can, be able to, may” (ability or circumstances allow). How: godan う-row → え-row ＋ る (書く→書ける), ichidan drop る ＋ られる (食べる→食べられる). Two must-knows for Chinese-background learners: the object takes 「が」 (日本語が話せる), and the colloquial 「ら抜き言葉」 (食べれる = 食べられる minus ら). This guide covers the conjugation, the が particle, ら抜き, and how it differs from the more formal 「ことができる」.

Core: ability／circumstances allow “can”

The potential form = “have the ability, or circumstances allow”:

• Godan: う-row → え-row ＋ る → 書く→書ける, 飲む→飲める.
• Ichidan: drop る ＋ られる → 食べる→食べられる, 見る→見られる.
• Irregular: する→できる, 来る→来（こ）られる.

The object takes が: 日本語が話せる (✗ 日本語を話せる is less natural).

Potential conjugation

Examples in use

• 私は日本語が少し話せます。(I can speak a little Japanese.) — ability
• この漢字が読めますか。(Can you read this kanji?) — ability
• ここで写真が撮れます。(You can take photos here.) — circumstances allow
• もう一杯飲めますか。(Can I have one more drink?) — possibility
• 忙しくて、旅行に行けなかった。(Too busy, I couldn't go on the trip.) — negative potential

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① The object takes 「が」, not 「を」. 日本語が話せる (✗ 日本語を話せる), 漢字が読める. The potential's object traditionally takes が (speech sometimes uses を, but formal is が).

② Ichidan potential = passive, same form. 食べられる can be “can eat” or “be eaten,” by context (辛いものも食べられる = can eat／ケーキを食べられた = got eaten).

③ 「ら抜き言葉」 is a colloquial phenomenon. Ichidan potential often drops 「ら」 in speech — 食べられる→食べれる, 見られる→見れる. Very common in casual talk, but formal/written contexts keep the full 「られる」 (食べられる). Exams use the full form too.

🔄 Compare: potential form vs ことができる

Same meaning; speech → potential (泳げる), formal/written → ことができる, nouns → “が ＋ できる.” (ことができる has its own guide.)

💡 Learning tip

Drill the potential conjugation first: godan う-row → え-row ＋ る (書ける), ichidan ＋ られる (食べられる), する→できる. Three must-knows for Chinese-background learners: ① the object takes が (日本語が話せる); ② ichidan potential = passive, same form (食べられる, by context); ③ colloquial 「ら抜き」 (食べれる = casual 食べられる; formal keeps られる). For a formal/written “can,” use 「ことができる」 (its own guide). The potential is super frequent — drill the conjugation and you can freely say “can/can't.”

❓ Common questions

Q: What's 「ら抜き言葉」? Can I use it?

「ら抜き言葉」 is dropping the 「ら」 from an ichidan verb's potential in speech: 食べられる→食べれる, 見られる→見れる, 来（こ）られる→来れる. Very common in casual talk (especially among young people), and it has a perk — it distinguishes from the passive (食べれる = can eat, 食べられる = could be “be eaten”). But formal settings, writing, and exams keep the full 「られる」 (食べられる). ら抜き is fine casually; restore it formally.

Q: Why does the potential's object take 「が」?

The potential's object (of ability/possibility) traditionally takes 「が」: 日本語が話せる, ピアノが弾ける, 刺身が食べられる. Because the potential focuses on “the object of ability/possibility,” it's marked with が. (Modern speech sometimes uses 「を」, e.g. 「日本語を話せる」, but formal/exam usage prefers 「が」.)

🖊️ Practice Quiz

Q1. What is the potential form of 「書く」?

(A) 書ける　(B) 書かれる　(C) 書いられる　(D) 書くことができる

Q2. Is 「食べられる」 the potential form of an ichidan verb?

(A) potential (食べる→食べられる)

(B) passive (be eaten by someone)

(C) both A and B

(D) neither

Q3. 「日本語___話せます。」(particle for the potential)

(A) が　(B) を　(C) は　(D) に

Q4. What is the potential form of 「する」?

(A) できる

(B) されられる

(C) するられる

(D) しえる

Q5. What is the potential form of 「来る (くる)」?

(A) 来られる (こられる)

(B) 来える (こえる)

(C) 来れる (これる) → × (ra-nuki)

(D) 来させる

Answer Key

1. (A) 書ける ── godan く→け ＋ る: 書ける. (D) 書くことができる is also possible but isn't the potential form per se.

2. (C) both A and B ── 食べられる is both potential and passive (same form; judge by context).

3. (A) が ── the potential typically uses が: 日本語が話せます.

4. (A) できる ── the potential of する is the irregular できる.

5. (A) 来られる (こられる) ── the standard potential of 来る is こられる (これる is the colloquial ra-nuki).

Conjugation at a Glance (full rules in the formation guide)

Godan: う-row → え-row + る (書く→書ける). Ichidan: drop る + られる (食べる→食べられる). する→できる, 来る→来られる.

For the rules verb group by verb group, the negative form, and a lookup table of common verbs, see how to form the potential.

Potential vs Passive — Telling Them Apart

The ichidan 〜られる is both potential and passive; the particle helps you tell them apart:

Common Mistakes (Quick Reference)

ことができる vs Potential — Which Is More Natural?

In everyday conversation the potential form dominates; ことができる is used more in writing or formal settings.