Potential, volitional and wanting
Three forms that would be three different verbs in Spanish or English. The potential (can): group 1 shifts the last syllable to the え row and adds る, 話す → 話せる; group 2 adds られる, 食べる → 食べられる; する → できる. What you can do usually takes が, not を: 日本語が話せます. The volitional (let's, I think I'll): 行こう, 食べよう, しよう, and with と思う it announces your own intention: 行こうと思います. And wanting: たい attaches to the ます stem and conjugates like an い-adjective, 食べたい, 食べたくない. Careful with たい: it is only for yourself; someone else's wish is said with たがっている.
Where this sits
- Comes after
- Dictionary form and plain style
Exercises from this rung
Generated by the app, from easiest to hardest
日本語___話せます。
- が
- で
- に
- を
Why With the potential form the object usually moves from を to が: 日本語を話す but 日本語が話せる. That is because “can” describes a state, not an action, and states take が.
easier刺身が___ますか。
- 食べさせ
- 食べれ
- 食べ
- 食べられ
Why Group 2 forms the potential with られる: 食べる → 食べられる. In the street you often hear 食べれる, with the ら dropped (ら抜き言葉); it is understood, but it will not pass in an exam or in writing.
in between弟は外国に行き___います。
- たがって
- たがりて
- たくて
- たいで
Why たい is only for your own wish: about someone else you say たがっている, because Japanese does not assert what another feels inside, only what they show. The same logic lies behind そうです and ようです.
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