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All Japanese activities

Activities: "How to use Japanese potential verbs"

By: Masaru Mito

Activity 1: Potential verb conjugation

Complete the following potential verb conjugation table. We've done the first row for you.
  • Short affirmativeShort negativeShort past aff.Te formMasu form
    食べる
    Transcription: taberu
    Translation: to eat

    たべられる

    たべられない

    たべられた

    たべられて

    たべられます

    見る
    Transcription: miru
    Translation: to see

    話す
    Transcription: hanasu
    Translation: to speak

    聞く
    Transcription: kiku
    Translation: to listen

    する
    Transcription: suru
    Translation: to do

    来る
    Transcription: kuru
    Translation: to come

Activity 2: Picking particles

Fill in the blanks with appropriate particle(s). There may be more than one correct answer!

  1. 田中さんは、マンガかけます。
    Tanaka san wa manga kakemasu.
    Tanaka can draw manga (comics).

  2. 母は、フランス料理作れます。
    Haha wa furansu ryōri tsukuremasu.
    My mom can make French cuisine.

  3. ここから学校までは、バス乗れます。
    Koko kara gakkō made wa, basu noremasu.
    You can take a bus from here to school.

  4. 明日は久しぶりに友達会えるので、楽しみです。
    Ashita wa hisashiburi ni tomodachi aeru node, tanoshimi desu.
    I’m excited because I can see my friends after a long time tomorrow.

  5. 私はダンスできます。
    Watashi wa dansu dekimasu.
    I can dance.

  6. 字が小さすぎて、私この本読めません。
    Ji ga chiisasugite, watashi kono hon yomemasen.
    As the font is too small, it is not possible (for me) to read this book.

Activity 3: Complete the sentences

Complete the following sentences, using words from the word bank. Don’t forget to change verbs to their appropriate forms. For question #2, use the long potential form.

  1. スミスさんは日本に4年間留学したから、。
    Sumisu san wa nihon ni yo nen kan ryūgaku shita kara, ___.
    Since Smith studied abroad in Japan for four years, he can speak Japanese fluently.

  2. 風邪をひいたから、。
    Kaze o hiita kara, ___.
    Since I caught a cold, I cannot go to work today.

  3. 子供の時はおばけが怖かったので、。
    Kodomo no toki wa obake ga kowakatta node, ___.
    I was scared of ghosts as a child, so I was not able to watch horror movies.

Activity 4: Potentially potential

For the following English sentences, write O if the Japanese potential form can be used, and X if not.

  1. I can come to work tomorrow.

  2. Can I come in?

  3. I cannot eat fish.

  4. Living abroad can be hard.