Imagine your Japanese tutor asks: “Can you read kanji?” You know the answer — but do you know how to say it in Japanese? There are actually three main ways to express ability in Japanese, and each one carries slightly different nuance. Mix them up and your sentence still makes sense; use them well and you sound natural. In this guide you’ll master all three patterns, understand when to use which, and avoid the most common mistakes English speakers make along the way.
| Pattern | Structure | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| できる | Noun + が + できる | Casual → Formal | 日本語ができる (I can speak Japanese) |
| 〜ことができる | [Plain verb] + ことができる | Formal / Written | 泳ぐことができる (I can swim) |
| Potential form | Verb stem + える / られる | Casual → Formal | 泳げる (I can swim) |
できる — Ability with Nouns
The simplest way to say “can do” in Japanese is できる（出来る）. This verb on its own means “to be able to” or “it is possible,” and it pairs naturally with a noun using the particle が.
Pattern: [Noun] + が + できる
| Japanese | Literal meaning | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| 日本語（にほんご）ができる | Japanese is possible | I can speak / understand Japanese |
| スポーツができる | Sport is possible | I can do sports / I’m good at sports |
| 料理（りょうり）ができる | Cooking is possible | I can cook |
| 運転（うんてん）ができる | Driving is possible | I can drive |
Notice that できる describes a general ability or skill — something you are capable of in principle. It does not pinpoint a specific action at a specific moment. That is why 日本語ができる sounds natural as a broad statement about your language ability, while it would sound odd as “I can read this particular sentence right now.”
Negative: Replace できる with できない.
例：日本語ができない。 — I can’t speak Japanese.
Past: Replace できる with できた.
例：子供（こども）のころ、水泳（すいえい）ができた。 — When I was a child, I could swim.
Yukaねえ、ピアノができる？ (Hey, can you play the piano?)
Reiうん、少しできるよ。でもギターの方が得意（とくい）かな。(Yeah, I can a little. But I’m better at guitar, I think.)
〜ことができる — The Formal “Can Do”
When you want to express ability with a verb — not a noun — in a formal or written context, use the pattern [plain form verb] + ことができる. The こと here nominalises the verb (turns it into a noun), essentially meaning “the act of doing X is possible.”
Pattern: [Plain form verb] + ことができる
| Plain form verb | + ことができる | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 泳ぐ（およぐ） | 泳ぐことができる | I can swim |
| 読む（よむ） | 読むことができる | I can read |
| 運転する（うんてんする） | 運転することができる | I can drive |
| 食べる（たべる） | 食べることができる | I can eat |
This pattern is grammatically equivalent to the potential verb form (covered next), but it carries a more formal or written feel. You will encounter it in business emails, official announcements, textbooks, and news articles. In everyday casual speech, most people prefer the shorter potential verb form.
Negative: 〜ことができない — 参加（さんか）することができない。 I cannot participate.
Past: 〜ことができた — 昨日（きのう）、間に合う（まにあう）ことができた。 I was able to make it in time yesterday.
One major advantage of ことができる: you can use it immediately without memorising potential-form conjugation rules. It is a safe, always-correct choice, even if it sounds a little stiff in casual conversation.
Potential Form (可能形) — The Most Natural “Can”
The potential form（可能形, かのうけい）is the most natural-sounding way to express ability in everyday Japanese. Once you know the conjugation rules, you can use it effortlessly in both spoken and written Japanese.
Group 1 Verbs (u-verbs): u → eru
Change the final u sound on the dictionary form to the corresponding eru sound.
| Dictionary form | Potential form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 書く（かく） | 書ける（かける） | can write |
| 泳ぐ（およぐ） | 泳げる（およげる） | can swim |
| 話す（はなす） | 話せる（はなせる） | can speak |
| 待つ（まつ） | 待てる（まてる） | can wait |
| 飲む（のむ） | 飲める（のめる） | can drink |
| 読む（よむ） | 読める（よめる） | can read |
Group 2 Verbs (ru-verbs): ru → rareru (or ra-nuki)
For Group 2 verbs (those ending in る where the sound before る is an e or i sound), the standard potential form is formed by replacing る with られる.
| Dictionary form | Standard potential | ら抜き (casual) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 食べる（たべる） | 食べられる | 食べれる | can eat |
| 見る（みる） | 見られる | 見れる | can see / watch |
| 起きる（おきる） | 起きられる | 起きれる | can wake up |
| 寝る（ねる） | 寝られる | 寝れる | can sleep |
Group 3 Verbs (irregular)
There are only two Group 3 verbs and both must be memorised:
- する (to do) → potential form: できる
- くる (to come) → potential form: こられる（or casual: これる）
Note that する’s potential form is exactly できる — which is why できる can be used with suru-verbs by attaching it directly: 運転できる, 料理できる, 勉強できる.
Yuka漢字が読める？ (Can you read kanji?)
Reiひらがなとカタカナは読めるけど、漢字はまだ難しい（むずかしい）。(I can read hiragana and katakana, but kanji are still difficult.)
ら抜き言葉 — The Ra-Nuki Reality
ら抜き言葉（らぬきことば） literally means “words with ら removed.” In casual spoken Japanese, many speakers drop the ら from Group 2 verb potential forms:
| Standard (formal) | ら抜き (casual) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食べられる | 食べれる | can eat |
| 見られる | 見れる | can see |
| 起きられる | 起きれる | can get up |
| こられる | これる | can come |
ら抜き forms are widely used in casual speech — especially among younger speakers — and are increasingly accepted in informal writing. However, they are still considered non-standard in formal contexts: job interviews, formal essays, business writing, and JLPT exams require the standard form with ら.
There is a practical benefit to ら抜き forms: they remove an ambiguity. 食べられる in standard Japanese can mean either can eat (potential) or is eaten (passive). drop ら and 食べれる can only mean can eat — the potential reading is unambiguous. Native speakers are aware of this, which is part of why ら抜き has spread.
Key rule: Use the standard form (with ら) in writing and formal situations. ら抜き is fine in casual speech but use it consciously.
Expressing Improved Ability with 〜ようになる
Once you can express current ability, you will want to talk about acquired ability — something you could not do before but can now. The pattern for this is [potential verb] + ようになる, meaning “to have come to be able to” or “to get to the point where one can.”
Pattern: [Potential verb] + ようになる
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 漢字が読めるようになった。 | I got to the point where I can read kanji. / I became able to read kanji. |
| 日本語で話せるようになりたい。 | I want to become able to speak in Japanese. |
| 一人で料理できるようになった。 | I became able to cook on my own. |
| 泳げるようになるまで練習（れんしゅう）する。 | I’ll practice until I can swim. |
This is one of the most satisfying expressions to use as a learner, because it captures the journey of improvement. ようになる pairs beautifully with potential forms to express growth over time — which is exactly what language learning is all about.
Yuka最近（さいきん）、日本語で夢（ゆめ）が見られるようになったよ！ (Lately I’ve gotten to the point where I can dream in Japanese!)
Reiすごい！それは本物（ほんもの）の上達（じょうたつ）だね。(Wow, that’s real improvement!)
Nuance: できる vs Potential Form
Both できる and the potential form translate as “can,” but there is a subtle difference worth understanding.
| できる (with noun) | Potential verb form | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | General skill / possibility | One’s own ability / capacity to act |
| Object marker | が (always) | が or を (both possible) |
| Example | 日本語ができる | 日本語が話せる |
| Feel | Broader, about competence in general | More specific, about performing the action |
| Register | Works in all registers | Works in all registers |
In practice, 日本語ができる and 日本語が話せる are both perfectly natural. The key nuance: できる with a noun is often used when introducing yourself or your skills at a high level (e.g. on a resume or in a self-introduction), while the potential verb form feels more action-specific.
Compare these two sentences:
- 日本語ができます。— I have Japanese ability. (Broad skill statement)
- 日本語が話せます。— I can speak Japanese. (Specific action)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Wrong conjugation for Group 1 verbs
English speakers sometimes try to apply the Group 2 rule (add られる) to all verbs.
| Wrong | Correct | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| ❌ 書くられる | ✅ 書ける | 書く (Group 1) |
| ❌ 飲むられる | ✅ 飲める | 飲む (Group 1) |
| ❌ 話すられる | ✅ 話せる | 話す (Group 1) |
2. Using ら抜き in formal writing
ら抜き is fine in casual conversation, but a mistake in formal contexts.
| Situation | Avoid | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
| Business email | ❌ 来れる (ra-nuki of くる) | ✅ こられる / 来ることができる |
| JLPT exam | ❌ 食べれる | ✅ 食べられる |
| Casual chat | Both forms are fine | 食べれる / 食べられる |
3. Forgetting が with できる (noun form)
When using できる with a noun, the particle is が, not を.
- ❌ 日本語をできる (incorrect)
- ✅ 日本語ができる (correct)
Note: With the potential verb form, either が or を is acceptable in modern Japanese (日本語が話せる / 日本語を話せる are both used), but が remains more standard.
4. Confusing potential and passive for Group 2 verbs
Standard 食べられる can mean both “can eat” (potential) AND “is eaten” (passive). Context usually clarifies, but when in doubt, either use ことができる for potential, or use ら抜き 食べれる in casual speech to make the potential meaning unambiguous.
Decision Flowchart: Which Pattern Should I Use?
Use this flowchart to choose the right ability expression quickly:
Are you expressing ability with a NOUN (e.g., Japanese, cooking, sports)?
YES → Use: [Noun] + が + できる
Example: 日本語ができる、料理ができる
Are you expressing ability with a VERB?
YES → Is the context FORMAL or WRITTEN?
YES → Use: [Plain verb] + ことができる
Example: 読むことができる、参加することができる
NO → Use the POTENTIAL FORM
Group 1: change u → eru (書く→書ける、飲む→飲める)
Group 2: change る → られる (食べる→食べられる)
Casual ら抜き OK: 食べれる、見れる
Group 3: する→できる、くる→こられる
Are you talking about IMPROVEMENT over time?
YES → [Potential verb] + ようになる
Example: 漢字が読めるようになったQuick Quiz
Test yourself! Fill in the blank with the correct ability expression, then check your answers below.
Q1. 私は自転車（じてんしゃ）___。(I can ride a bicycle.) — Use ことができる.
Q2. 子供のころ、ピアノ___。(As a child, I could play the piano.) — Use できる, past tense.
Q3. 彼女（かのじょ）は漢字を___ようになった。(She has become able to write kanji.) — Use the potential form of 書く.
Q4. このレストランでは英語（えいご）___。(At this restaurant, English is possible / they can use English.) — Use が + できる with a noun.
Q5. 明日、来る（くる）___？ — Use the formal potential form. (Can you come tomorrow?)
Answers
- 私は自転車に乗ることができる（のることができる）。
- 子供のころ、ピアノができた。 (Note: ピアノができた — don’t forget the particle が.)
- 彼女は漢字を書けるようになった（かけるようになった）。
- このレストランでは英語ができる。
- 明日、こられますか？（formal）/ 来れる？（casual ら抜き）
How did you do? If you got Q3 and Q5 right, your potential-form conjugation is solid. If not, go back and review the conjugation table above — it just takes a little repetition.
Which of these three patterns do you find most natural to use? Have you ever accidentally used ら抜き in a formal setting? Share your experience in the comments — every mistake is a step forward!
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About the Author
Daisuke is the creator of JP YoKoSo — a Japanese learning site for English speakers. Every article is written to explain Japanese clearly, with real examples, grammar notes, and practical tips for learners at every level.
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