Hitomaru
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Potential Verbs
The Potential Verb Form:
If you want to express about the capability of doing X, verbs can be conjugated such that they suggest the capability of such an act.
For group 1 verbs (u-ending):
Change to the 'e' line in hiragana and add 'ru'
1) 読む--->読める
2) 買う--->買える
3) 泳ぐ--->泳げる
For group 2 verbs (iru/eru):
Drop 'ru' and append 'rareru' at the end.
1) 食べる--->食べられる
2) 見る----->見られる
For group 3 verbs (suru/kuru ONLY):
1) 来る--->来られる [こられる]
2) する--->出来る
Notice that group 2 verbs are longer in their potential form than that of group 1 verbs. Another form of the potential verbs simply take on 'reru'. These forms are becoming popular for simplification but nonetheless, considered slightly substandard.
Note that potential verb forms conjugate like regular 'ru' verbs
Example: 食べる
---------------Affirmative --------------Negative
Present tense: Long:食べられます---------Long: 食べられません
---------------Short:食べられる----------Short: 食べられない
Past Tense: Long: 食べられました ---------Long: 食べられませんでした
------------Short: 食べられた------------Short:食べられなかった
Te-form: 食べられて
Note that verbs that take on the particle を, can take either が or を when turned into their potential forms. HOWEVER, the 出来る potential form of する is special; it takes on が exclusively. While を can be used with it, it is considered substandard although gramatically correct. All other particles when used with potential verbs like に etc. can just stay without changes.
Example:
1) 漢字が読める OR 漢字を読める
2) 仕事が出来る OR (SUBSTANDARD): 仕事を出来る
3) 山に登れる - Notice, the に is unchanged.
Using 出来る:
When explicitly expressing nouns as verbs that one is capable of,
Example: 勉強する->勉強出来ます
The noun 勉強 is still taken as a verb (capable of)
Now, if が is in place such as,
Example: 勉強が出来ます
The noun 勉強 is still taken as a noun (In this manner, you are capable of 'studying' as an idea)
In other words, with a が in place such as in: 勉強が出来ます, you express a sentence with a complete idea (in any case, it is more ideal to conceive 勉強 as a noun). Otherwise, without が, 勉強出来ます merely is a 'verb' in itself.
Another Example: 利用出来るデータはありません。
Point is, in a sense, one has to be concious if a statement expresses an idea as a whole.
Source:
Banno, E., Ohno, Y., Sakane, Y., Shinagawa, C., & Tokashiki, K. (1999). Genki II: Integrated approach to elementary Japanese. Japan: Japan Times.
Ventura, Francesca [personal interview] - My Japanese teacher
The Potential Verb Form:
If you want to express about the capability of doing X, verbs can be conjugated such that they suggest the capability of such an act.
For group 1 verbs (u-ending):
Change to the 'e' line in hiragana and add 'ru'
1) 読む--->読める
2) 買う--->買える
3) 泳ぐ--->泳げる
For group 2 verbs (iru/eru):
Drop 'ru' and append 'rareru' at the end.
1) 食べる--->食べられる
2) 見る----->見られる
For group 3 verbs (suru/kuru ONLY):
1) 来る--->来られる [こられる]
2) する--->出来る
Notice that group 2 verbs are longer in their potential form than that of group 1 verbs. Another form of the potential verbs simply take on 'reru'. These forms are becoming popular for simplification but nonetheless, considered slightly substandard.
Note that potential verb forms conjugate like regular 'ru' verbs
Example: 食べる
---------------Affirmative --------------Negative
Present tense: Long:食べられます---------Long: 食べられません
---------------Short:食べられる----------Short: 食べられない
Past Tense: Long: 食べられました ---------Long: 食べられませんでした
------------Short: 食べられた------------Short:食べられなかった
Te-form: 食べられて
Note that verbs that take on the particle を, can take either が or を when turned into their potential forms. HOWEVER, the 出来る potential form of する is special; it takes on が exclusively. While を can be used with it, it is considered substandard although gramatically correct. All other particles when used with potential verbs like に etc. can just stay without changes.
Example:
1) 漢字が読める OR 漢字を読める
2) 仕事が出来る OR (SUBSTANDARD): 仕事を出来る
3) 山に登れる - Notice, the に is unchanged.
Using 出来る:
When explicitly expressing nouns as verbs that one is capable of,
Example: 勉強する->勉強出来ます
The noun 勉強 is still taken as a verb (capable of)
Now, if が is in place such as,
Example: 勉強が出来ます
The noun 勉強 is still taken as a noun (In this manner, you are capable of 'studying' as an idea)
In other words, with a が in place such as in: 勉強が出来ます, you express a sentence with a complete idea (in any case, it is more ideal to conceive 勉強 as a noun). Otherwise, without が, 勉強出来ます merely is a 'verb' in itself.
Another Example: 利用出来るデータはありません。
Point is, in a sense, one has to be concious if a statement expresses an idea as a whole.
Source:
Banno, E., Ohno, Y., Sakane, Y., Shinagawa, C., & Tokashiki, K. (1999). Genki II: Integrated approach to elementary Japanese. Japan: Japan Times.
Ventura, Francesca [personal interview] - My Japanese teacher
