Japanese Words: Potential Form112

The potential form is a verb form in Japanese that expresses the ability or possibility of an action. It is formed by adding the suffix -eru to the verb stem. For example, the verb 見る (miru) "to see" becomes 見られる (mieru) "to be able to see" in the potential form.

The potential form can be used in a variety of situations, including:
To express the ability to do something
To express the possibility of something happening
To make a request
To give advice

Here are some examples of how the potential form is used:
私は日本語を話せます。 (Watashi wa nihongo wo hanasemasu.) "I can speak Japanese."
明日は雨が降るかもしれない。 (Ashita wa ame ga furu kamoshirenai.) "It might rain tomorrow."
この本を読んでください。 (Kono hon wo yonde kudasai.) "Please read this book."
もっと勉強したほうがいいですよ。 (Motto benkyō shita hō ga ii desu yo.) "You should study more."

The potential form is a versatile verb form that can be used to express a variety of meanings. It is important to master the potential form in order to communicate effectively in Japanese.

Additional Notes

The potential form can also be used to express the passive voice. For example, the sentence 私は日本語を話されます。 (Watashi wa nihongo wo hanasaremasu.) means "I am spoken to in Japanese." The passive voice is formed by adding the suffix -rareru to the verb stem.

The potential form can be negated by adding the suffix -nai to the verb stem. For example, the sentence 私は日本語を話せません。 (Watashi wa nihongo wo hanasemasen.) means "I cannot speak Japanese."

The potential form can be used in conjunction with other verb forms to create more complex meanings. For example, the sentence 私は日本語を話せるようになる。 (Watashi wa nihongo wo hanaseru yō ni naru.) means "I will be able to speak Japanese." This sentence is formed by combining the potential form with the volitional form.

The potential form is a powerful verb form that can be used to express a variety of meanings. It is important to master the potential form in order to communicate effectively in Japanese.

2024-12-21

Previous：Korean Pronunciation of “Skirt“

Next：German Vacation Vocabulary