The Japanese Potential Form: How to Say You Can Do Something

Turn any verb into "I can do it" — not a memorized phrase, but a rule you can apply to speak, swim, read, or anything else. Includes the polite form, the question form, and the one irregular that's actually a word you already know. Chapters: 0:00 Beyond dekimasu: can-do from any verb 0:11 U-verb rule: hanasu → hanaseru 0:21 Same rule: yomu → yomeru 0:31 Ru-verb rule: taberu → taberareru 0:40 Irregulars: suru → dekiru 0:55 Say it: eigo ga hanasemasu 1:08 Ask it: nihongo ga hanasemasu ka 1:21 Answer honestly: a little 1:32 Practice: say it before you hear it 1:55 Recap 2:08 What's next Vocabulary in this video: 話す → 話せる (hanasu → hanaseru) — to speak → can speak 泳ぐ → 泳げる (oyogu → oyogeru) — to swim → can swim 読む → 読める (yomu → yomeru) — to read → can read 食べる → 食べられる (taberu → taberareru) — to eat → can eat 見る → 見られる (miru → mirareru) — to see/watch → can see/watch 来る → 来られる (kuru → korareru) — to come → can come する → できる (suru → dekiru) — to do → can do 英語が話せます (eigo ga hanasemasu) — I can speak English 日本語が話せますか (nihongo ga hanasemasu ka) — Can you speak Japanese? はい、少し話せます (hai, sukoshi hanasemasu) — Yes, I can speak a little This is an AI-assisted lesson: Yuzu, your teacher, is an animated character with a synthetic voice, and every Japanese phrase in this video has been checked for accuracy before publishing. New Japanese lessons for absolute beginners every week. Subscribe to follow the full course from zero. #LearnJapanese #JapaneseForBeginners #JapaneseGrammar