Potential Verb is a form expresses a certain ability of the Topic or the possibility of an event.
Expressing the ability to do something
In Japanese, the ability to do a certain action is expressed by conjugating the verb rather than adding a word such as the words “can” or “able to” in the case of English. All verbs conjugated into the potential form become a る-verb.
In previous Lesson 18 we learned Verb Ru- Form Conjugation with
Sentence Pattern N が できます and Verb Ru-Form が できます. What are the
difference between this Pattern? I will give an examples.
Sentence Pattern: N が できます.
(Noun it is places before
ga are mostly nouns which express actions such as driving car, skiing, dancing
and etc.)
Examples:
1. マリア さん は ひらがな が できます.
2. アナ さん は にほんご が できます.
3. ミラ- さん は テニス が できます.
4. マ-クさん は スキ- が できます.
Sentence Pattern: Verb る form こと が できます
(できます is
the verb which expresses ability or possibility.)
A Noun and Verb form こと before が indicates the content of ability or possibility.
1. マリア さん は ひらがな を かく こと が できます. (ability to write in Hiragana)
Ms. Maria can write hiragana.
2 2. アナ さん は にほんご を はなす こと が できます. (ability to speak in Japanese)
Ms. Ana can speak Japanese Language.
Verb る form こと が できます(Lesson 18) and Potential
Verb (Lesson 27) are the same meaning but their sentence pattern are different.
Examples of Dekiru and Potential Verb
1. Dekiru: いもうと は およぐ こと が できます (L18)
Potential
Verb: いもうと が およげます (L27)
Meaning:
My younger sister can swim.
2. Dekiru: ちち は タクシ- に のる こと が できます. (L18)
Potential Verb: ちち は タクシ- に のれます. (L27)
Meaning: My father can ride the taxi.
3. Dekiru: あした パ-ティ- に いく こと が できません (L18)
Potential Verb: あした パ-ティ- に いけません. (L27)
Meaning: I can't go to the party tomorrow.
Rules for Changing Verb Dictionary - Form (る-form) to Potential-form
The following are the rules for the 3 groups of Japanese
verbs.
Group 1
The picture shows that the verb has ますform, The first
thing to do is all i-line (highlighted red color) changed it to e-line it will
become to Polite form, if you want to become dictionary form you will drop ます and add る.
Group 2
The picture shows that the verb has ますform, All ends e-line of Verb and also special with ends i-line that belongs to Group 2 add られます.
Group 3
In Potential Verb します becomes できます and きます becomes こられます. And also Verb ends with します drop します and add できます.
