N4133/179

れる・られる (Potential)

Godan verbs: stem changes to ～eru (e.g., 行く -> 行ける)Ichidan verbs: drop る, add られる (e.g., 食べる -> 食べられる)Casual shortening: ～られる (informal) vs ～られます (polite)Passive form ambiguity: potential forms 時に passive meaning (見られる) may cause confusion

Meanings

To be able to
Can (potential)
Able to do X

About this pattern

Explanation

れる and られる are the typical forms used to express ability in Japanese. They attach to the verb stem to mean “can do.” For ichidan verbs, the ichidan verb stem takes られる. For godan verbs, the final -u sound changes to -eru (e.g., 行く → 行ける). Note that some forms of 見られる or 食べられる can also be interpreted as passive, and context will determine meaning. In conversation, the られる form can sound more formal or old-fashioned in some regions; the shorter れる/れる form may be used in casual speech. Also, potential is commonly expressed more naturally with 〜ことができる or 〜られる after a noun or verb stem in everyday speech, depending on the verb and context.

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