Kore wa suterarenai mono desu
Potential form
In Japanese, the potential form is used to express the ability to do something, like “I can write” or “I can eat.” While the phrase “…kotoga dekimasu” is correct, it can be quite lengthy. There is a shorter and more concise way to express potentiality by changing the verbs themselves into their potential forms.
kakukotoga dekimasu (dekiru)
taberukotoga dekimasu (dekiru)
It’s long just to say “…kotogadekimmasu” to express the potential form.
Here we learn a short version of the potential form. Verbs themselves change to potential forms.
kaku >>> kakemasu (kakeru)
taberu >>> taberaremasu (taberareru)
How to make
u-verb
stem + eru
irueru-verb
stem + rareru
Exception
suru >>> dekiru
kuru >>> korareru
Potential form verbs conjugate like normal verbs
As all potential forms end with eru, these become irueru-verb and they conjugate as irueru-verb.
| kakeru (kakemasu) | taberareru (taberaremasu) |
| kakenai (kakemasen) | taberarenai (taberaremasen) |
| kaketa (kakemashita) | taberareta (taberaremashita) |
| kakenakatta (kakemasendeshita) | taberarenakatta (taberaremasendeshita) |
Removing-“ra” tendency
Language evolves over time, and this is particularly evident in colloquial speech, which tends to change in ways that make it easier and more logical for speakers. One example of this in Japanese is the transformation of potential forms of irueru-verbs, making them resemble u-verbs and thus easier to pronounce.
Remove u-sound from irueru-verb like u-verb, and add “eru”. This is easy and logical, so everyone uses, but it is not an official way.
“ra” is removed from the conjugation.
| Official conjugation | Removing-ra conjugation |
|---|---|
| taberareru, taberaremasu | tabereru, taberemasu |
| taberarenai, taberaremasen | taberenai, taberemasen |
| taberareta, taberaremashita | tabereta, taberemashita |
| taberarenakatta, taberaremasendeshita | taberenakatta, taberemasendeshita |
Exercise
Questions
Conjugate the verbs in “removing-ra” conjugation.
- Kono ichigo wa furukute taberaremasen.
- Atsuinode, jaketto o kirarenai.
- Kore wa suterarenai mono desu.
Answers
- Kono ichigo wa furukute taberemasen.
- Atsuinode, jaketto o kirenai.
- Kore wa suterenai mono desu.