Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha eigo de ieru ga, nihongo de ha mada iemasen. - I can say it in English, but I still cannot say it in Japanese.

日本語ではまだ言えません = “(At least) in Japanese, I still can’t say it.”
It implies:
In English I can do it, but in Japanese (by contrast) I can’t yet.

So では highlights 日本語で as the topic of contrast, matching the “but” feeling of the whole sentence.

Where is the word “it” in the Japanese sentence? Why isn’t it written?

Japanese often omits things that are obvious from context, especially pronouns and objects.

In English we say:

“I can say it in English, but I still can’t say it in Japanese.”

In Japanese, “it” would usually be それ or a specific object word, but if everyone already knows what “it” refers to, it is simply left out:

私は英語で言えるが、日本語ではまだ言えません。 → Literally: “As for me, in English (I) can say (it), but in Japanese (I) still can’t say (it).”

The missing object is understood from context without needing to be spoken.

Why is 言える used instead of 言います? What’s the difference?

言います = “say / will say / do say” (normal action)
言える = “can say / be able to say” (ability)

This sentence is about ability, not just the action of saying:

英語で言える = “I can say it in English.”
英語で言います = “I say it in English.” (sounds like a habitual or future choice, not a question of capability)

So 言える is the correct form for “can say.”

What grammar form are 言える and 言えません, and how are they formed from 言う?

They are the potential form (the “can do” form) of the verb 言う (“to say”).

For 五段 (godan) verb 言う:

Dictionary form: 言う (to say)
Potential dictionary form: 言える (can say)
Polite potential:
- Affirmative: 言えます (can say)
- Negative: 言えません (cannot say)

So:

言える = plain, “can say”
言えません = polite, “cannot say”

Is it okay to mix 言える (plain) and 言えません (polite) in one sentence like this?

In textbook “standard” Japanese, you are taught not to mix plain and polite styles in the same sentence or short passage. A more consistent version would be:

Polite throughout:
私は英語で言えますが、日本語ではまだ言えません。
Plain throughout:
俺は英語で言えるけど、日本語ではまだ言えない。

However, in real conversation, speakers do sometimes mix styles for nuance or by accident. For learners, it’s better to keep the style consistent until you’re comfortable with both levels.

What does が mean in this sentence? Is it “but” or a subject marker?

Here, が is a conjunction meaning “but / although”, not the subject marker.

英語で言えるが、日本語ではまだ言えません。 → “I can say it in English, but I still can’t say it in Japanese.”

Subject-marking が usually comes right after a noun and before a predicate, like:

雨が降っています。 (“It is raining.”)

In this sentence, が connects two clauses, so it functions like “but.”

What does まだ mean here, and why does it go before 言えません?

まだ means “still / yet (not)” in this context.

まだ言えません = “I still can’t say it yet.”

Position:

まだ typically comes before the verb or adjective it modifies:
- まだ分かりません。 – “I still don’t understand.”
- まだ寒いです。 – “It’s still cold.”

So 日本語ではまだ言えません is natural word order: “In Japanese, I still can’t say it.”

Could I say 英語が言える instead of 英語で言える? What’s the difference?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

英語が言える
→ Literally “(I) can say English.”
→ More idiomatically: “I can speak English / I know how to use English.”
This treats 英語 as the thing you are able to use/speak.
英語で言える
→ “I can say (it) in English.”
This treats 英語で as the language/medium for saying some other content.

In your sentence, you mean “I can say it in English,” so 英語で言える is the natural choice.

Can 私 and は be omitted? Would that change the meaning?

Yes, they can be omitted, and that’s very common in Japanese:

英語で言えるが、日本語ではまだ言えません。

This is perfectly natural in context. The subject “I” (私) is understood.

Nuance:

私は explicitly marks “as for me,” which can sound a bit more formal, explanatory, or contrastive (“as for me, I can say it in English…”).
Omitting 私は makes the sentence more neutral and conversational, assuming the listener already knows who you’re talking about.

Could I say 言うことができます instead of 言える? What’s the difference?

Yes, grammatically:

英語で言うことができますが、日本語ではまだ言うことができません。

This also means “I can say it in English, but I still can’t say it in Japanese.”

Differences:

言える / 言えません:
- Shorter, more natural in everyday speech.
言うことができます / できません:
- More formal, heavy, or explanatory.
- Common in manuals, announcements, polite written language.

In normal conversation, 言えます / 言えません is usually more natural.

Why is 日本語では placed before まだ? Is まだ日本語では言えません also correct?

Both are grammatically possible, but they feel slightly different.

Original:

日本語ではまだ言えません。 → “As for in Japanese, I still can’t say it.”
- First set the contrastive topic (日本語では),
- then say what is true about it (まだ言えません).

Alternative:

まだ日本語では言えません。 → “I still can’t say it in Japanese (yet).”
- Emphasis starts on まだ (the “still/yet not” idea),
- then specifies the language.

The original word order (日本語ではまだ言えません) is more common and flows very naturally; the alternative is understandable but places a bit more early emphasis on the “still/not yet” part.