Mastering Intermediate Japanese
N4 Verb Nuances
Expressing Ability
You already know how to say you do things. But how do you say you can do them? The potential form (可能形, kanōkei) is your answer. It's how you express ability or possibility.
While you can use the structure 「dictionary form + ことができる」, it's a bit clunky for conversation. Native speakers almost always use a conjugated potential verb. The rules depend on the verb group.
/* Godan Verbs (u-verbs) */
// Change the final 'u' sound to the 'e' sound and add る.
書く (kaku) -> 書ける (kakeru) // can write
読む (yomu) -> 読める (yomeru) // can read
話す (hanasu) -> 話せる (hanaseru) // can speak
/* Ichidan Verbs (ru-verbs) */
// Drop the final る and add られる.
食べる (taberu) -> 食べられる (taberareru) // can eat
見る (miru) -> 見られる (mirareru) // can see
/* Irregular Verbs */
// These you just have to memorize.
する (suru) -> できる (dekiru) // can do
来る (kuru) -> 来られる (korareru) // can come
One important grammar point changes when you use the potential form. The direct object particle を (o) usually becomes が (ga).
Think of it this way: 漢字を読みます (kanji o yomimasu) means "I read kanji." The focus is on the action of reading. But in 漢字が読めます (kanji ga yomemasu), "I can read kanji," the focus shifts to the kanji itself being readable. The ability is a state or quality, so が is a better fit.
Example: 寿司を食べます。(Sushi o tabemasu.) -> 寿司が食べられます。(Sushi ga taberaremasu.) Example: 彼は日本語を話します。(Kare wa nihongo o hanashimasu.) -> 彼は日本語が話せます。(Kare wa nihongo ga hanasemasu.)
When Things Happen to You
The passive voice (受身形, ukemi-kei) describes an action being done to the subject. In English, we say things like, "The window was broken." In Japanese, it's used similarly, but also in a unique way to express that you've been inconvenienced by someone's actions.
Let's look at the conjugation first.
/* Godan Verbs (u-verbs) */
// Change the final 'u' sound to the 'a' sound and add れる.
書く (kaku) -> 書かれる (kakareru) // is written
叱る (shikaru) -> 叱られる (shikarareru) // is scolded
/* Ichidan Verbs (ru-verbs) */
// Drop the final る and add られる.
食べる (taberu) -> 食べられる (taberareru) // is eaten
褒める (homeru) -> 褒められる (homerareru) // is praised
/* Irregular Verbs */
する (suru) -> される (sareru) // is done
来る (kuru) -> 来られる (korareru) // is come (rarely used this way)
Notice something? The potential and passive forms for ichidan verbs are identical! Context is the only way to tell them apart. Don't worry, it's usually very clear. If you see 「ケーキが食べられた」 it could mean "I can eat the cake" or "The cake was eaten." The particles and situation will tell you which is which.
Now for the interesting part. The "adversative passive," sometimes called the suffering passive (迷惑の受け身, meiwaku no ukemi), is used when someone's action negatively affects you.
This is where intransitive verbs—verbs that don't take a direct object, like 死ぬ (shinu, to die) or 降る (furu, to fall (rain/snow))—can be used in the passive. It creates a sense that the speaker was personally and negatively impacted by the event.
| Passive Type | Verb Used | Example Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Passive | Transitive | この本は夏目漱石に書かれました。 | This book was written by Natsume Soseki. |
| Adversative Passive | Intransitive | 私は雨に降られました。 | I was rained on. (Implies inconvenience) |
| Adversative Passive | Transitive | 私は弟にケーキを食べられました。 | My cake was eaten by my little brother. (I'm sad about it!) |
Making and Letting Others Act
The causative form (使役形, shieki-kei) is used when you make someone do something or let them do something. It expresses a transfer of action to another person. Think of a parent telling a child to clean their room, or a teacher letting students leave early.
/* Godan Verbs (u-verbs) */
// Change the final 'u' sound to the 'a' sound and add せる.
書く (kaku) -> 書かせる (kakaseru) // make/let write
待つ (matsu) -> 待たせる (mataseru) // make/let wait
/* Ichidan Verbs (ru-verbs) */
// Drop the final る and add させる.
食べる (taberu) -> 食べさせる (tabesaseru) // make/let eat
見る (miru) -> 見させる (misaseru) // make/let see
/* Irregular Verbs */
する (suru) -> させる (saseru) // make/let do
来る (kuru) -> 来させる (kosaseru) // make/let come
The particle used tells you whether someone was made to do something or allowed to do it.
When using an intransitive verb, the person doing the action is marked with を. For transitive verbs, they're marked with に, because the object of their action already takes を.
Letting someone do something: 母は子供に好きなだけゲームをさせた。 (Haha wa kodomo ni suki na dake geemu o saseta.) The mother let her child play games as much as they wanted.
Making someone do something: 先生は学生を立たせた。 (Sensei wa gakusei o tataseta.) The teacher made the student stand up.
When You're Forced to Act
Finally, we have the most complex combination: the causative-passive (使役受身形, shiekiukemi-kei). This is what you use when you want to say you were made to do something by someone else. It combines the meaning of the causative (someone making you do it) and the passive (it's happening to you).
It sounds complicated, but it's just a mashup of the two forms we just learned. It often expresses a feeling of reluctance or being forced against your will.
/* Godan Verbs (u-verbs) */
// Change the 'u' sound to 'a' and add される.
書く (kaku) -> 書かされる (kakasareru) // be made to write
/* Ichidan Verbs (ru-verbs) */
// Drop る and add させられる.
食べる (taberu) -> 食べさせられる (tabesaserareru) // be made to eat
/* Irregular Verbs */
する (suru) -> させられる (saserareru) // be made to do
来る (kuru) -> 来させられる (kosaserareru) // be made to come
You'll often see this in workplace or school scenarios.
私は部長にレポートを書かされました。 (Watashi wa buchō ni repōto o kakasaremashita.) I was made to write a report by my department manager.
弟は母に嫌いな野菜を食べさせられた。 (Otōto wa haha ni kirai na yasai o tabesaserareta.) My little brother was made to eat vegetables he hates by our mother.
These verb forms add significant nuance to your Japanese. Mastering them is a big step toward sounding more natural and understanding the social dynamics often encoded in the language.
Ready to check your understanding? Let's see how well you can identify and use these new forms.
When changing a sentence like 「私は漢字を読みます」(I read kanji) to the potential form to mean "I can read kanji," which particle most naturally replaces を?
Which sentence best exemplifies the "adversative passive" (迷惑の受け身), where the speaker is negatively affected by an action?
Getting comfortable with these conjugations takes time and practice. Try to spot them when you're listening or reading, and don't be afraid to use them yourself.