Japanese Verbs Nine

In this Japanese Verbs Nine, of our Learn Japanese series, we will look at how to express the idea of "to be able to ..." We do this by just by adding a suffix to the stem of any Japanese verb.

The suffix in question is eru/rareru.

For those verbs that end in "u," use the stem and knock off the vowel, then add eru. Otherwise, use the regular stem and add rareru.

Basically, take the verb stem and then just add the ending ...eru/rareru.

For example, the verb yomu, which means to read:

Verb stem = yomi. Now knock off the "i" and add "eru," which becomes yomeru.

This basically creates a new verb.

In order to do this with all verbs, let's first recap on Japanese verbs

There are three types of verb:

1. irregular verbs, of which there are only two.
2. The verbs that end in "u." 
   
3. Those that end in "ru."

To make it easier I will arrange the verb in its various forms

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+eru/rareru"     Kanji/Kana

Kuru                  ko            korareru         来られる

Suru                                 dekiru            できる

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                  mi            mirareru         見られる

Taberu              tabe        taberareru        食べられる

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                kat          kateru              勝てる

Yomu                yom       yomeru              読める

Modoru            modor      modoreru          戻れる

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

After the word list are a few examples, using the ...masu form:

Bicycle = 自転車 =　じてんしゃ　to ride = 乗る =　のる　

Japan = 日本 =　にほん　food = 料理 =　りょうり

student(s) = 生徒さん =　せいとさん　English = 英語 =　えいご　

to speak = 話す =　はなす

 

Jill can ride a bicycle. 　

   ジルは自転車に乗れます。

Kana can eat Japanese food.

　  カナは日本料理が食べられます。

The students can speak English.

　  生徒さんは英語が話せます。

 

Let's use this construction in the present negative 

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+eranai/rarenai"    Kanji/Kana

Kuru           ko                    korarenai           来られない

Suru                                   dekinai               できない

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru            mi                    mirarenai           見られれない

Taberu        tabe                taberarenai         食べられない

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu          kat                katenai                 勝てない

Yomu          yom               yomenai              読めない

Modoru      modor            modorenai            戻れない

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

After the word list are a few examples, using the ...masu form:

French = フランスの　

Jill cannot buy a new bicycle. 

　  ジルは自転車が買えません。           

Kana cannot eat French food.

　  カナはフランスの料理が食べられません。  

The students cannot speak English.

   生徒さんは英語が話せません。

To say that "one was able to do ..."

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+eta/rareta"     Kanji/Kana

Kuru                  ko            korareta         来られた

Suru                                 dekita            できた

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                  mi            mirareta         見られた

Taberu              tabe         taberareta       食べられた

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                kat          kateta              勝てた

Yomu                yom        yometa            読めた

Modoru            modor      modoreta          戻れた

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

After the word list are a few examples, using the ...masu form:

This morning = 今朝 =　けさ　yesterday = 昨日 =　きのう　

that/those = あの　

Jill was able to ride a bicycle this morning. 

　  今朝ジルは自転車に乗れました。            

Kana could eat Japanese food yesterday.　

   昨日カナは日本料理が食べられました。    

Those students were able speak English.

　  あの生徒さんは英語が話せました。

To say that "one was not able to ..."

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+enakatta/rarenakatta"    Kanji/Kana

Kuru               ko             korarenakatta          来られなかった

Suru                               dekinakatta             できなかった

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru            mi               mirarenakatta           見られなかった

Taberu        tabe             taberarenakatta        食べられなかった

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu          kat             katenakatta               勝てなかった

Yomu          yom            yomenakatta             読めなかった

Modoru      modor         modorenakatta           戻れなかった

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

After the word list are a few examples, using the ...masu form:

study = 勉強 =　べんきょう

Jill could not buy a new bicycle yesterday. 

　  昨日ジルは自転車が買えませんでした。           

Kana could not eat French food.

　  カナはフランスの料理が食べられませんでした。  

Those students could not study English this morning. 　

   今朝あの生徒さんは英語を勉強できませんでした。

Please note!

You will find a lot of verbs using this construction will behave irregularly. There are no apparant rules on this. You will have to take each one case by case.

For example: for suru, just use dekiru.

Kuru can also sometimes be koreru and not korareru, as can taberareru be taberu, while other verbs ending in "ru" do not and some do.

The particle "ga" tends to be used with this construction.

Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

Difficult = 難しい = むずかしい　Chinese character(s) = 漢字 =　かんじ　

sorry = ごめんなさい　to say = 言う =　いう  Probably = でしょう

tomorrow = 明日 =　あした　tonight = 今晩 =　こんばん　

this = この weekend = 週末 = しゅうまつ　overtime = 残業する = ざんぎょうする

to work = 働く =　はたらく　we = 私たち =　わたしたち　match = 試合 =　しあい　

win = 勝つ =　かつ　many = 多くの =　おおくの　

foreigner = 外国人 =がいこくじん fermented soy beans = 納豆 =なっとう

to play baseball = 野球する =　やきゅうする　tune = 曲 =　きょく　

to play = 弾く =　ひく  poem = 詩 =　し　

to set a poem to music = 曲がつける =　きょくをつける　

English = 英語の =　えいごの　novel = 小説 = しょうせつ　

Japanese = 日本語 = にほんご　translation = 翻訳 =　ほんやく

Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

Note!

You will also come across another construction for "can:"

...koto ga dekiru, where the plain verb in the present tense precedes it.

Watashi wa eigo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu.

I can speak English.

Also, you can tag deshou onto the end of a plain verb to give the idea of "probably" or "maybe," as in:

Ame ga furu deshou.  It will probably rain.

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Reminder!

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Verbs Nine is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 12 Japanese phrases.
2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.
   

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