← Grammar
Lesson 27N4Minna no Nihongo II

日本語が 話せます — the potential form

Saying what you can do with the potential form, what is visible/audible, and listing reasons with し.

3
V (potential)Potential form — can do
Potential form

The potential form expresses ability: 話す→話せる, 食べる→食べられる, する→できる.

わたしは 日本語が 話せます

わたしは にほんごが はなせます。

I can speak Japanese.

Group I: change the final う-row sound to the え-row + る (書く→書ける, 飲む→飲める). Group II: ます-stem + られる (食べる→食べられる). Irregular: する→できる, 来る→来られる.

The object of a potential verb is usually marked with が (not を): 日本語が 話せます.

4
N が 見えます / 聞こえます見えます / 聞こえます — visible / audible
Potential form

Spontaneous perception (without effort): something is visible (見えます) or audible (聞こえます).

部屋から 海が 見えます

へやから うみが みえます。

You can see the sea from the room.

見えます/聞こえます describe what naturally comes into view or hearing, not a deliberate ability (which would be 見られます/聞けます). The thing perceived takes が.

5
~し、~しし — and (listing reasons)
Reason

し joins clauses to pile up reasons: “it's A, and B (too), so…”.

この店は 安い、おいいです。

このみせは やすいし、おいしいです。

This shop is cheap, and the food is good.

し attaches to the plain form and lists reasons or qualities, implying there are several. It often leads to a conclusion (…から / だから).