Japanese from zero · N4 Lesson 1
What I can do
〜える / 〜られる (can) ・ 〜ことが できる ・ さっき ・ 後で
In this lesson, you will learn to say what you can and cannot do with the potential form, to say the same thing with 〜ことが できる, and to say that something happened a little while ago or will happen later. You will also meet the Satos, Lisa's host family: Mr. Sato, his wife Yumi, their eight-year-old son Hiro, and Grandma.
By the end you will be able to say
私は 漢字が 少し 読めます。I can read a little kanji.
納豆が 食べられますか。Can you eat natto?
布団で 寝る ことが できます。I can sleep on a futon.
さっき 荷物が 着きました。My luggage arrived a little while ago.
荷物は 後で 片付けます。I'll put my things away later.
The grammar in this lesson
- Can do: the potential form 〜える / 〜られる — The potential form of a verb says what someone can do: 読める, 食べられる, できる.
- Can do, the longer way: 〜ことが できる — Dictionary form + ことが できる means the same as the potential form and sounds a little more formal.
- A little while ago: さっき — さっき means a short time ago, usually earlier the same day, and takes a past verb.
- Later: 後で — 後で on its own means 'later'; after a noun + の it means 'after'.