Unit 48Phase N · Can-do

かのうけい

The potential form — “I can ~”

かけますGroup 1

The い-row kana before ます slides to its え-row partner.

かきます → かけます

られますGroup 2

Swap ます for られます. Nothing else moves.

たべます → たべられます

できますGroup 3

Two to memorize — and one of them you already know.

します → できます

かんじがよめますか。

すこしよめます！

Step 1

つくりかた

how to build it

Start from the ますけい — the form you already say every day — and Group 1 is a rule you have seen before. In Unit 20 the kana before ます slid down to the う-row. Here it slides to the え-row instead: かきます → かけます. 🔊 Tap any line to hear it.

Rusty on the ますけい? → Unit 5 has the full drill →

グループ 1い-row → え-row

き → け

ぎ → げ

み → め

び → べ

い → え

ち → て

り → れ

し → せ

グループ 2ます → られます

ます → られます

In casual speech you'll hear たべれる, みれる — the ら gets dropped. It's everywhere in conversation and anime, but keep the ら in anything polite.

グループ 3irregular (きます→こられます / します→できます)

irregular

します → できます is the one you already met in Unit 21 (〜ことができます). It was the potential of します all along.

Need the plain form for casual speech? Every potential verb turns plain the ordinary way — swap ます for る: かけます → かける, たべられます → たべられる. Unit 49 uses it for the negative.

Step 2

フラッシュカード

drill it until it's automatic

ますけい on the front, かのうけい on the back. The coloured kana is what changed — say it out loud before you flip.

Card 1 / 28

ますけいかきますwritetap to reveal the かのうけい

Step 3

クイズ

make the form

Eight verbs — turn each one into “can”. Watch the group.

Question 1 / 8 · 0 correct

fill the blankたべます → ◯◯eat → can eat (keep the ら — this is polite)

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