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Learn Japanese: dekiru - to be able to do

Japanese
/Indicating ability with the potential form
/dekiru

dekiru

Word

できるdekiru

Meaning

to be able to do

Part of speech

intransitive, itidan - group 2, verb

Pronunciation

Course

Lesson

Indicating ability with the potential form

Breakdown & Usages Conjugations

Breakdown of dekiru

Usages of dekiru

できません。dekimasen.

〜こと　が　できる〜koto ga dekiru

to be able to; to be possible to

日に本　が　できます。

Nihon-shiki romanizationwatasi ha tyuugoku kara kimasita

Hepburn romanizationwatashi wa chuugoku kara kimashita

ほん

語ご

nihongo ga dekimasu.

(I) can speak Japanese.

時じ間かん　を　止とめること　は　できません。zikan wo tomerukoto ha dekimasen.

(You) cannot stop time.

Using は in this sentence might be more suitable because it is more all-encompassing than が (it implies that no one can stop time), while が is more specific and might refer to something like being unable to stop time on a personal capacity.

鼻はな　で　息いき　が　できない。hana de iki ga dekinai.

(I) can't breathe through my nose.

Sentence from Tatoeba

できる　だけ　早はやく　日に本ほん語ご　を　学まなびたい　です。dekiru dake hayaku nihongo wo manabitai desu.

(I) want to learn Japanese as quickly as possible.

注ちゅう文もん　は　できます　か。tyuumon ha dekimasu ka.

ガス　が　切きれた　ので、　料りょう理り　が　できない。gasu ga kireta node, ryouri ga dekinai.

The gas ran out, so I can't cook.

信しん頼らい　できるsinrai dekiru

trustworthy; able to be trusted

The structure [noun] + できる is a common way to express the ability or possibility related to the noun. This construction turns the noun into an adjective describing the noun that follows.

子こ供ども　で　も、　できます。kodomo de mo, dekimasu.

Even a child can do it.

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