Potential form (〜られる / 〜える) "can do"

Expresses ability ("can", "be able to") or possibility.

The potential form turns a verb into "can do". 読む (read) becomes 読める (can read), 食べる (eat) becomes 食べられる (can eat). Think of it as building "can" into the verb itself instead of adding a separate word. Once you have made the potential form, it behaves like an ordinary Group 2 verb, so 読める → 読めます / 読めない / 読めた.

Used everywhere, at every politeness level, for ability (漢字が読める = I can read kanji), for possibility (ここで買える = you can buy it here) and for permission-like situations on signs (ここでは泳げません = you cannot swim here). It is the everyday alternative to 〜ことができる, which sounds more formal.

• Group 1: change the last う-row sound to the え-row and add る: 書く→書ける, 読む→読める, 話す→話せる, 待つ→待てる
• Group 2: drop る and add られる: 食べる→食べられる, 見る→見られる
• Group 3: する→できる, 来る→来られる
• The result is a Group 2 verb: 読めます / 読めない / 読めた / 読めて
• The object normally takes が (漢字が読める), though を is also heard

1. 01

   私は漢字が読めます。

   わたしは かんじが よめます。

   I can read kanji.

   The object 漢字 takes が, the most natural particle with a potential verb.

2. 02

   明日、来られますか。

   あした、こられますか。

   Can you come tomorrow?

   来る has the irregular potential 来られる (こられる); the polite form is 来られます.

3. 03

   ここでは泳げません。

   ここでは およげません。

   You cannot swim here.

   Potential + negative is the standard way to say what is not possible or not allowed.

4. 04

   この店では日本のお菓子が買えます。

   このみせでは にほんの おかしが かえます。

   You can buy Japanese sweets at this shop.

   Potential form for possibility rather than personal skill: buying is possible here.

5. 05

   昨日は疲れていて、何も食べられませんでした。

   きのうは つかれていて、なにも たべられませんでした。

   I was tired yesterday and could not eat anything.

   食べられる is the full Group 2 form; the JLPT does not accept 食べれる.

• 〜ことができる

  Same meaning, but longer and more formal. It is common in writing, announcements and rules (写真を撮ることができません). Compare side by side

• Passive form 〜られる

  For Group 2 verbs the passive and the potential look identical (食べられる). Look at the particles: potential usually has が on the object, passive has a person with に. Compare side by side

• 〜ようになる

  Potential + ようになる (話せるようになった) means you gained the ability over time. The plain potential just states that you can. Compare side by side

• ✗

  私は日本語を分かれます。

  ✓

  私は日本語が分かります。

  Why

  分かる already means "can understand", so it is never put into the potential form. The same is true of できる.

• ✗

  毎日、漢字を読めるように練習しています。→ 漢字を読めれます

  ✓

  漢字が読めます

  Why

  Group 1 potential is one step: 読む → 読める. Do not add another れる on top of a potential verb.

• ✗

  食べれる、見れる (in the exam)

  ✓

  食べられる、見られる

  Why

  Dropping ら (ら抜き言葉) is very common in speech, but the JLPT treats the full られる form as correct.

Both 漢字が読める and 漢字を読める are heard; が is the textbook standard and the safer choice in the exam. The potential form is used for possibility as well as ability: 駅から歩いて行けます (you can walk from the station). 見える and 聞こえる are separate verbs meaning "is visible / is audible" without effort; 見られる and 聞ける mean you are able to watch or listen (テレビが見られる = I can watch TV).