Genki L13 Grammar

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Potential Verbs

The potential verbs are used to express “can” or “ability to do something”.

Godan Verbs

The potential form conjugation for Godan verb takes the え sound characters of the hiragana chart and adds る to it.

Example

• 会う — 会える(Can meet)
• 泳ぐー泳げる(Can swim)
• 聞くー聞ける(Can listen)
• 話すー話せる(Can speak)

The potential form of Godan verbs conjugates similar to an ichidan verb in both polarity and tense.

Godan verb potential form polite conjugation

Ichidan verb

The ichidan verb potential form conjugation takes removes the るand adds られる to the ending of the verb. It conjugates similar to other Ichidan verbs.

Ichidan verb potential form polite conjugation

Example

• 食べるー 食べられる(Can eat)
• 見るー見られる(Can see)
• 教える(おしえる) — 教えられる(Can instruct)
• 出るー出られ(Can exit)

Irregular verb

The two irregular verbs in potential forms are くる and する

• くるーこられる
• するーできる

Usage of particles with potential verbs

The potential verbs can take が or を particle except できるwhich always takes が particle. All other particles remain same

Example

• 私は海で泳げません — I can’t swim in the sea
• 私はまい朝はやく起きられる(おきられません) — I can’t wake up early every morning
• 来週のパーティーに僕はこられます- I can’t come to the next week party
• 今日は先生に会えると思って大学にきたんです、でもぜんぜん先生に会えませんでした — I came to university thinking that I would be able to meet teacher today but I couldn't meet him at all.
• 最近は忙しいから犬と遊べません(あそべません) — I have been busy recenty so I can’t play with my dog.
• 僕はこのお仕事でができますーI can do this job.
• 宿題(しゅくだい)は難しいので僕はできませんーI can’t do the homework because is difficult.
• 僕はお酒を飲めませんーI can’t drink alcohol

Multiple reasons with し

To give a reason for something we can use から but to give multiple reasons for something we use し

reason1し、reason2し、…situation

The reason takes verb in their short form, noun in their short form, い-adj and な-adj in their short form.

Example

• 宿題(しゅくだい)がたくさんあるし、明日しけんがあるし、今日は勉強しなきやいけません — I have a lot of homework, I have a test tomorrow so I have to study today.
• 映画はまだ始まらないし、時間もあるし、何か食べに行きましょうーThe movie hasn’t started yet, we have more time so lets go and eat something.
• 電池(でんち)は足(た)りないし、画面(がめん)もこわれているし、新スマホがほしい — The battery is not enough, the screen is also broken so I want a new smartphone.

〜そうです(It looks like)

The そうです can be used to describe something “It looks like….” in Japanese.

Usage

Example

• トームさんは歌を歌うのが上手じゃなさそうです- Tom doesn’t seem to be good at singing
• 先生はきびしそうですー The teacher looks strict
• その食べ物は美味しそうですーThat food looks delicious
• その服(ふく)はあたたかそうですーThat dress looks warm
• この映画は面白そうですーThis movie looks interesting

〜てみる

The te-form of the verb is added with 〜てみる to express “trying out something”. You are not sure about the outcome of the action but you try it out to see the outcome.

• このアプリを作ってみました ー I tried making this app.
• このケーキを食べてみましょうーI tried out this cake.
• 彼女の予定(よてい)を聞いてみますーI will try asking her about her plans.

なら

The usage of なら can be translated as If A….is true then B….

Usage

• Noun + なら
• いadj + なら
• なadj + なら
• Verb(Present verb short forms) + なら

Example

• 銀行に行くならお金をおります ー If I go to the bank I will withdraw money.
• パリに旅行するならルーブル美術館(びじゅつかん)に行きたいですーIf I travel to Paris, I want to go to the Louvre Museum.
• 雨がふるなら傘を持って行きますー If it rains I will take an umbrella with me.
• 空が晴れるなら洗濯(せんたく)をしますーIf the sky is clear I will do the laundry.

Expressing Frequency over a period of time

We can express the frequency of an event over a period of time using (period) に(frequency) (frequency) per (period)

Example

• 僕はー週間三回部屋(へや)をそうじしますー I clean my room three times a week.
• 彼女はー日に二回テニスをしますーShe plays tennis twice a day.