～が Verb られる (〜ga Verb rareru)
Explanation
Expresses potential or ability to do something; 'can', 'able to'.
Formation
❶ (Group 1) Verb: 書く → 書ける / 飲む → 飲める, etc. ❷ (Group 2) Verb-ます stem + られる (食べる→食べられる、見る→見られる)
Detailed Explanation
The ～が Verb られる grammar pattern generally refers to the potential form of Japanese verbs (i.e., 'can do something'). However, the exact formation depends on the verb group. For most Group 1 (五段) verbs, potential form changes the final -u to -eru (e.g., 書く→書ける). For Group 2 (一段) verbs, you often see ～られる (e.g., 食べる→食べられる). In English, it translates as 'can' or 'able to'.
Examples
彼がこの問題を解けると思いますか？
Kare ga kono mondai o tokeru to omoimasu ka?
Do you think he can solve this problem?
私がその大きな箱を運べるか？
Watashi ga sono ookina hako o hakoberu ka?
Can I carry that big box?
彼が早く走れると思います。
Kare ga hayaku hashireru to omoimasu.
I think he can run fast.
彼女は日本語が話せる。
Kanojo wa nihongo ga hanaseru.
She can speak Japanese.
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.