Can, be done, make do
Conjugations, Stage 1chunk 9 of 15Verb forms
The four voice forms: can (potential), be done (passive), make or let (causative), be made to (causative-passive). They are all built the same way, a vowel change plus -reru or -seru, so they are easiest to tell apart side by side.
- -eru / -rareruSays someone can or can't do something.
- -areru / -rareruSomething is done to someone, often with a feeling of 'it happened to me'.
- -aseru / -saseruMakes or lets someone do something.
- -asareru / -saserareruBeing made to do something you didn't want to.
Mix-ups Ichidan potential and passive are identical (taberareru, mirareru), and kuru gives korareru for both. -aseru (make do) and -areru (be done) differ by one sound, and -asareru stacks both.
-eru / -rareru
potential (can do)Says someone can or can't do something.
The everyday way to say can and can't: nihongo hanaseru?, ashita ikeru?, mou taberarenai.
Make it Godan: change the final -u to -eru (kau → kaeru, iku → ikeru). Ichidan: drop -ru, add -rareru (taberareru); in speech often just -reru (tabereru). suru → dekiru, kuru → korareru.
Polite -emasu / -raremasu
Ichidan potential sounds the same as the passive (taberareru, mirareru); context tells. kaeru 'can buy' also sounds like kaeru 'go home'.
| taberu | taberareru | 食べられる | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mirareru | 見られる | |
| kau | kaeru | 買える | |
| matsu | materu | 待てる | |
| kaeru | kaereru | 帰れる | |
| nomu | nomeru | 飲める | |
| asobu | asoberu | 遊べる | |
| kaku | kakeru | 書ける | |
| oyogu | oyogeru | 泳げる | |
| hanasu | hanaseru | 話せる | |
| iku | ikeru | 行ける | |
| suru | dekiru | できる | |
| kuru | korareru | 来られる |
nihongo, chotto hanaseru yo
I can speak a little Japanese.
日本語、ちょっと話せるよ
nihongo ga sukoshi hanasemasu
I can speak a little Japanese.
日本語が少し話せます
Heard not counted: the tokenizer can’t pick this form out
-areru / -rareru
passiveSomething is done to someone, often with a feeling of 'it happened to me'.
Mostly for things done to you, often unwelcome: okorareta (I got told off), ame ni furareta (I got caught in the rain). At work the same form is also a light honorific (nanji ni kaeraremasu ka).
Make it Godan: change the final -u to -a and add -reru (kau → kawareru, matsu → matareru). Ichidan: drop -ru, add -rareru (taberareru). suru → sareru, kuru → korareru.
Polite -aremasu / -raremasu
The person who does it to you takes ni (buchou ni). Ichidan passive and potential sound the same: mirareru = 'be seen' or 'can see'.
| taberu | taberareru | 食べられる | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mirareru | 見られる | |
| kau | kawareru | 買われる | |
| matsu | matareru | 待たれる | |
| kaeru | kaerareru | 帰られる | |
| nomu | nomareru | 飲まれる | |
| asobu | asobareru | 遊ばれる | |
| kaku | kakareru | 書かれる | |
| oyogu | oyogareru | 泳がれる | |
| hanasu | hanasareru | 話される | |
| iku | ikareru | 行かれる | |
| suru | sareru | される | |
| kuru | korareru | 来られる |
kinou buchou ni okorareta
I got chewed out by my boss yesterday.
昨日部長に怒られた
kinou buchou ni okoraremashita
I got scolded by my manager yesterday.
昨日部長に怒られました
Heard 86,325× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (3.8% of verbs)
-aseru / -saseru
causative (make / let)Makes or lets someone do something.
Heard most as -sasete or -sasete kudasai, 'let me': chotto kangaesasete (let me think). Also for a parent or boss making someone do something.
Make it Godan: change the final -u to -a and add -seru (kau → kawaseru, matsu → mataseru). Ichidan: drop -ru, add -saseru (tabesaseru). suru → saseru, kuru → kosaseru; the table shows the -te form (-sasete).
Polite -sasete kudasai
-sasete kudasai asks to do it yourself; -te kudasai asks the other person to do it (harawasete = let me pay, haratte = you pay).
| taberu | tabesasete | 食べさせて | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | misasete | 見させて | |
| kau | kawasete | 買わせて | |
| matsu | matasete | 待たせて | |
| kaeru | kaerasete | 帰らせて | |
| nomu | nomasete | 飲ませて | |
| asobu | asobasete | 遊ばせて | |
| kaku | kakasete | 書かせて | |
| oyogu | oyogasete | 泳がせて | |
| hanasu | hanasasete | 話させて | |
| iku | ikasete | 行かせて | |
| suru | sasete | させて | |
| kuru | kosasete | 来させて |
kondo wa watashi ni harawasete yo
Let me pay next time.
今度は私に払わせてよ
kondo wa watashi ni harawasete kudasai
Please let me pay next time.
今度は私に払わせてください
Heard 31,332× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (1.4% of verbs)
-asareru / -saserareru
causative-passive (be made to)Being made to do something you didn't want to.
For complaining about being forced or kept: nomasareta (they made me drink), matasareta (I was kept waiting).
Make it Godan: change the final -u to -a and add -sareru (kau → kawasareru, matsu → matasareru); verbs in -su use -saserareru (hanasaserareru). Ichidan: drop -ru, add -saserareru (tabesaserareru). suru → saserareru, kuru → kosaserareru.
Polite -asaremasu / -saseraremasu
Listen for the extra -sa-: nomasareta = I was made to drink; nomareta = someone drank it (on me).
| taberu | tabesaserareru | 食べさせられる | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | misaserareru | 見させられる | |
| kau | kawasareru | 買わされる | |
| matsu | matasareru | 待たされる | |
| kaeru | kaerasareru | 帰らされる | |
| nomu | nomasareru | 飲まされる | |
| asobu | asobasareru | 遊ばされる | |
| kaku | kakasareru | 書かされる | |
| oyogu | oyogasareru | 泳がされる | |
| hanasu | hanasaserareru | 話させられる | |
| iku | ikasareru | 行かされる | |
| suru | saserareru | させられる | |
| kuru | kosaserareru | 来させられる |
kinou mo sanjikan matasareta yo
I got kept waiting three hours again yesterday.
昨日も三時間待たされたよ
kinou mo sanjikan matasaremashita
I was kept waiting three hours again yesterday.
昨日も三時間待たされました
Heard 648× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.03% of verbs)