Can do with ことができる
Grammar: Possibility » 〜ことができる
〜ことができる follows the dictionary form of a verb to say that doing the action is possible: someone can do it, or circumstances allow it.
The noun こと turns the verb into a “thing”, and できる says that thing is possible. A literal translation is “the doing of ~ is possible”.
Usage Notes
ことができる carries the same core meaning as the potential form (読むことができる ≒ 読める), but it’s longer and more common in writing. Everyday speech usually prefers the short potential. Characters of every kind still use ことができる, though, from polite greetings like お会いすることができて嬉しいです to casual set phrases like どうすることもできねえ.
Some verbs, such as わかる, 要る, 咲く, and 降る, don’t normally take ことができる. You can’t say ✗雨が降ることができる.
The こと here can’t be swapped for の: 借りることができる, never ✗借りるのができる.
できる also follows a noun directly with が for skills and languages: 日本語ができる “can (use) Japanese”, テニスができる “can play tennis”.
Formation
View formation details
- Verb (dictionary form) ＋ ことができる
- 私は漢字を読むことができる
- "I can read kanji."
- Verb (dictionary form) ＋ ことができます (polite)
- ここから富士山を見ることができます
- "You can see Mount Fuji from here."
- Verb (dictionary form) ＋ ことができない (negative)
- ここでは写真を撮ることができない
- "You cannot take photos here."
- Verb (dictionary form) ＋ ことができた (past)
- やっと彼に会うことができた
- "I was finally able to meet him."
- Noun ＋ が ＋ できる
- 妹はピアノができる
- "My little sister can play the piano."
- Note: With a noun, できる directly expresses skill or capability.
Talking About Ability
ことができる can say that someone has the ability to do something: a skill, a talent, or a power. 本田さんは中国語を話すことができる “Honda can speak Chinese.”
For a bare skill, the short potential often sounds more natural: 田中さんは泳げる “Tanaka can swim.” ことができる fits better when the sentence says how far, how fast, or under what conditions: 1000メートルを18分で泳ぐことができる “can swim 1,000 meters in 18 minutes.”
What Circumstances and Rules Allow
ことができる also says that the situation makes an action possible, whatever the person’s skill: the weather, the place, the time, or the money. 晴れれば、ここから富士山を見ることができます “If it clears up, you can see Mount Fuji from here.”
Rules, signs, and officials use it to state what is and isn’t allowed. These sentences often leave out who is doing the action: 日本では、20歳にならないとお酒を飲むことはできません “In Japan, you can’t drink alcohol until you’re 20.”
Was Able to and Got To: ことができた and ことができて
For a single occasion, ことができた reports that someone succeeded in doing something. やっと, ようやく, and ついに “finally” often come with it: ようやく姫と結婚することができた “he was finally able to marry the princess.”
ことができた can also describe what someone used to be able to do, through skill or circumstances: 学生時代は、何キロでも泳ぐことができた “as a student, I could swim any distance.”
ことができて followed by a feeling says how someone feels about getting to do something. It often appears in polite thanks and greetings: お会いすることができて嬉しいです “I’m glad I got to see you.”
Changing が to Other Particles
The が after こと can change to another particle, which adds that particle’s meaning.
- ことはできない sets the action apart as the topic: “that, you can’t do”. は often replaces が in negative sentences. ことはできる or ことはできても admits a limited possibility before a “but”: 会うことはできても… “we could meet, but…”.
- こともできる means “can also”: one more thing that’s possible. こともできない means “can’t even” or “can’t … either”: 喋りかけることもできない “can’t even talk to them”. どうすることもできない means “there’s nothing (I, you, they) can do about it”.
- ことしかできない means “can only…” or “all I can do is…”: 泣くことしかできなかった “all I could do was cry”.
- With できない, すら and さえ stress “can’t even”: 話すことさえできない “can’t even talk”.
Related Grammar
- Able to do with 〜れる・〜られる
- The short potential form, preferred in everyday speech.
- Permission to do with 〜てもいい
- てもいい grants permission; ことができる/ことができない states what is possible or allowed as fact.
- Coming to do with 〜ようになる
- ことができるようになる says someone has become able to do something.