Japanese

<p>
	In Japanese the <strong>ability</strong> to perform an action is expressed through <strong>conjugation of the verb</strong>,
	instead of by using auxiliary verbs like <strong>can</strong> and <strong>to be able to</strong>. 
	This conjugation puts the verb into the <strong>potential form</strong>.
</p>

<p>
	The potential form of all verbs ends in <strong>-る</strong>, and all potential forms are Group 2 verbs.
	Therefore, to convert a verb in potential form into <strong>-ます</strong> form,
	you simply replace the <strong>-る</strong> ending with <strong>-ます</strong>.
</p>

<p>
	How the original verb is conjugated into the potential form depends on the verb group.
</p>

<p>
	For verbs in <strong>Group 2</strong>, change the <strong>-る</strong> ending into <strong>-られる</strong>.
</p>

<table class="ui celled definition table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Group 2 verbs</th>
			<th><ruby>食ta</ruby>べる</th>
			<th><ruby>見mi</ruby>る</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Potential form</td>
			<td><ruby>食ta</ruby>べられる</td>
			<td><ruby>見mi</ruby>られる</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polite potential form</td>
			<td><ruby>食ta</ruby>べられます</td>
			<td><ruby>見mi</ruby>られます</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Translation</td>
			<td>to be able to eat</td>
			<td>to be able to see</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	For verbs in <strong>Group 1</strong>, change the final <strong>う-sound</strong> into an <strong>え-sound</strong>,
	and add <strong>-る</strong> as ending.
</p>

<table class="ui celled definition table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Group 1 verbs</th>
			<th><ruby>行i</ruby>く</th>
			<th><ruby>話hana</ruby>す</th>
			<th><ruby>飲no</ruby>む</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Potential form</td>
			<td><ruby>行i</ruby>ける</td>
			<td><ruby>話hana</ruby>せる</td>
			<td><ruby>飲no</ruby>める</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polite potential form</td>
			<td><ruby>行i</ruby>けます</td>
			<td><ruby>話hana</ruby>せます</td>
			<td><ruby>飲no</ruby>めます</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Translation</td>
			<td>to be able to go</td>
			<td>to be able to speak</td>
			<td>to be able to drink</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	The potential forms of, <strong>する</strong> and <strong><ruby>来ku</ruby>る</strong> are special cases.
</p>

<table class="ui celled definition table">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Special cases</th>
			<th>する</th>
			<th><ruby>来ku</ruby>る</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Potential form</td>
			<td>できる</td>
			<td><ruby>来ko</ruby>られる</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polite potential form</td>
			<td>できます</td>
			<td><ruby>来ko</ruby>られます</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Translation</td>
			<td>to be able to do</td>
			<td>to be able to come</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>
	When using the potential form, what in English would be the object, is the subject in Japanese.
	Therefore you will see the subject particle <strong>が</strong> where you would expect the object particle <strong>を</strong>.
</p>

Indicating ability with the potential form

hiragana character

kanji

adnominal

adverb

auxiliary

conjunction

compound

i-adjective

interjection

noun

na-adjective

numeral

particle

case particle

conjunctive particle

discourse particle

prefix

pronoun

suffix

verb

sentence

hiragana writing

kanji writing

kanji component

reading vocabulary

katakana writing

katakana character

godan - group 1

itidan - group 2

group 3

transitive

intransitive

proper noun

discourse

phrase

expression

sinziru

Breakdown of sinziru

Usages of sinziru