Potential
Production Rules:
| Rule | Meaning | |
| Infinitive (Plain Nonpast Indicative) | Ichidan: [root] + られる [root] + rareru Godan: [え-stem] + る [e-stem] + ru |
be able to [do]; can [do] |
Inflection Examples:
| Infinitive (Plain Nonpast Indicative) | |
| 食べる taberu (to eat) |
食べられる taberareru |
| 話す hanasu (to speak) |
話せる hanaseru |
| 歩く aruku (to walk) |
歩ける arukeru |
| 泳ぐ oyogu (to swim) |
泳げる oyogeru |
| 呼ぶ yobu (to call) |
呼べる yoberu |
| 飲む nomu (to drink) |
飲める nomeru |
| 死ぬ shinu (to die) |
死ねる shineru |
| 作る tsukuru (to make) |
作れる tsukureru |
| 待つ matsu (to wait) |
待てる materu |
| 洗う arau (to wash) |
洗える araeru |
Irregulars:
| Infinitive (Plain Nonpast Indicative) | |
| する suru (to do) |
できる * dekiru |
| くる kuru (to come) |
来られる korareru |
* Note the change to a different verb.
Usage Notes & Examples:
- Conjugating to the potential form results in the creation of a new ichidan verb (even if the starting verb was godan). This resulting verb can be conjugated to give negatives, past tenses, presumptives, provisionals, polite forms, etc., just as any other ichidan verb. Of course, you must be careful, as there are conjugations that wouldn't make logical sense for a verb in the potential form.
- There is a colloquial form of the potential for ichidan verbs only whose rule is [root] + reru. For "taberu", this would result in "tabereru".