---
title: JLPT N4 - Potential form
description: Free JLPT N4 Grammar Lesson - Potential form
image: https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/JLPT%20grammar%20N4.jpeg
---

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# JLPT N4 - Potential form

![Christophe](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/IMG_4361S_C-1.jpg)

Posted by [Christophe](https://blog.cardemy.com/author/christophe) on Jan 22, 2023 7:39:00 AM

![La construction : mot interrogatif + も dans une phrase négative.](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/subtitle_bean.svg)

### Potential tense

The potential form indicates that an action is possible and is formed with れる /られる as follows:

1) Conjugation for the 一段動詞いちだんどうし / -ru verbs : **Radical + られる**   
食たべる : Radical 食たべ → 食たべられる   
見みる : Radical 見み → 見みられる

2) Conjugation for the 五段動詞ごだんどうし / -u verbs : **Radical + eru**   
乗のる noru : Radical nor → 乗のれる noreru   
待まつ matsu : Radical mat → 待まてる materu   
書かく kaku : Radical kak → 書かける kakeru   
話はなす hanasu : Radical hanas → 話はなせる hanaseru   
遊あそぶ asobu : Radical asob → 遊あそべる asoberu   
読よむ yomu : Radical yom → 読よめる yomeru   
泳およぐ oyogu : Radical oyog → 泳およげる oyogeru

3) Irregular verbs する (to do) et 来くる(to come)   
する　→　できる   
くる　→　こられる

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

鰻うなぎを食たべられるのは、誰だれですか。　

Who can eat eel?

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

この切符きっぷで、新幹線しんかんせんに乗のれます。　

With this ticket, I can get on the Shinkansen.

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

日本語にほんごを話はなせますか。

Can you speak Japanese?

 

| [Add flashcards](https://cardemy.com/addCardsFromGrammarGuide) |   |
| --- | --- |
|  泳げる | 99998484650502 |
| 話せる | 169711527 |
| 食べれる | 99998476966664 |

 

 

**Exercices**

Conjugate the verbs below in the potential form.

知しる

Answer →

知しられる

Translation →

Can know

働はたらく

Answer →

働はたらける

Translation →

Can work

座すわる

Answer →

座すわれる

Translation →

Can sit

教おしえる

Answer →

教おしえられる

Translation →

Can teach

読よむ

Answer →

読よめる

Translation →

Can read

In everyday language, the ら is often omitted.   
食たべられる   →   食たべれる   
出でられる　→   出でれる

 

見みえる and

  聞きこえる are two special verbs already containing in themselves the notion of possibility. The difference with 見みる and 聞きく is that

見みえる and

  聞きこえる are intransitive (=there is no agent performing the action). They are followed by が ( not を as a complement). 

 

見みえる (it is visible)         vs. 見みられる (someone can see it)  
聞きこえる (it is audible)   vs.  聞きける (someone can hear it)

 

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

晴はれたので、富士山ふじさんがよく見みえる。

As the weather was good, we could see Mount Fuji better (unconditionally).

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

あの丘おかを登のぼれば、富士山ふじさんが見みられる。

As you climb this hill, you can see Mount Fuji.

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

この公園こうえんは、鳥とりの鳴なき声ごえが、よく聞きこえる。

In this park you can hear birds singing.

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

今度こんどのコンサートでは、ラテン音楽おんがくが、聞きけるよ。

At the next concert you can listen to Latin music (but you have to go there to hear it).

Another verb that contains the notion of possibility : 有あり得える, 見みえる also as 見みられる   
有あり得える is a compound word of  有ある (there is) and  得える (get).

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

オリンピックが沖縄おきなわで開催かいさいされることは、有あり得える。

It is possible that the Olympic Games will be held in Okinawa.

![](https://blog.cardemy.com/hubfs/flashcards_purple.svg)

オリンピックが沖縄おきなわで開催かいさいされることは、有あり得えない。

It is impossible for the Olympic Games to be held in Okinawa.

In texts, 得える  is sometimes pronounced 得うる.   
→ オリンピック沖縄おきなわ開催かいさいは、有あり得うる。   
It is possible that the Olympic Games will be held in Okinawa.

 Topics: [Learn Japanese](https://blog.cardemy.com/tag/learn-japanese), [JLPT N4 Grammar](https://blog.cardemy.com/tag/jlpt-n4-grammar)

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