to be able to do (...) This can be used to indicate that one can do (A), or one has the ability to do (A).
Ability
辛い料理は食べられない I cannot eat spicy food
１００ｍを１０秒で走れた I was able to run 100m in ten seconds.
able to A
今日は早く家に帰られます (Specifically) today, I can go home early
明日は昼まで寝られる tomorrow, I can sleep until the afternoon.
It can also be used to denote some attribute:
カタツムリは食べられない Snails are not edible
この橋は渡れません This bridge cannot be crossed
昔、この病気は治せなかった A long time ago, this disease could not be cured
No direct objects
Potential forms cannot have direct objects. Instead, they go with が
富士山~~を~~登れた 富士山が登れた was able to climb fuji-san
Conjugation
All potential verbs become 一段 verbs.
| 踏む | plain | negative | polite | polite negative | | --------- | ----- | -------- | ------ | --------------- | | Potential | 踏める | 踏めない | 踏めます | 踏めません |
Dropping the ら
incasual , sometimes the らis dropped.
Technically incorrect, this does not change its meaning.
見られる 見れる to be visible
This also makes it essentially the same conjugation as the godan version!
Special cases
できる
する → {出来|でき}る できる can also be used roundabout for the main function of this form when combined with the act of doing (...)
この問題を解くことができる I am able to write kanji.
漢字を書くことができる I am able to solve this question
来られる
来る→{来|こ}られる
あり得る
ある→あり{得|え}る or あり{得|う}る
そんなことはありうる Such kind of things can exist!
それは、ありえない話だ That's an impossible story.
見える・聞こえる
見る and 聞く don't really have potential conjugations, insomuch that they are more their own verbs. 見る→見える (to be visible)
聞く→聞こえる (to be audible)