Skip to content
fluentbyear

JAPANESE VERB

できる

to be ready, to be finished

  • #482 most used
  • Ichidan verb (ru-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI am ready
NegativeI am not ready

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI was ready
NegativeI was not ready

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formbeing ready, and…
Doing now (て います)I am being ready
Please (て ください)please be ready

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can be ready
NegativeI can’t be ready

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to be ready
NegativeI don’t want to be ready

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s be ready

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I am ready
  2. If, when (たら) if I am ready

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) be ready (do it)
  2. Plain command be ready!
  3. Please don’t please don’t be ready

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
Passive
Causative

How to use できる

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    ばんごはん は しちじ に できます。

    Dinner will be ready at seven.

  2. Past

    しゃしん が できた よ。

    The photos are ready.

  3. Te-form

    あたらしい えき が できて、 べんり に なりました。

    A new station was built and things got convenient.

  4. Potential

    あした まで に できます か？

    Can it be ready by tomorrow?

  5. Want to

    はやく おいしい カレー が できたい もの です。

    I do wish the curry would hurry up and be ready.

  6. Volitional

    いつ できよう と、 ここ で まちます。

    Whenever it's ready, I'll wait here.

  7. Conditional

    ごはん が できたら、 よんで ください。

    When dinner's ready, please call me.

  8. Commands and requests

    はやく できろ、 と カレー に いいました。

    I told the curry to hurry up and be done.

  9. Passive and causative

    ロボット に ごはん を できさせる の は むり です。

    You can't make a robot have dinner ready.

Good to know

  • ごはん が できました is "dinner's ready"; the same できる also means "can", and a new shop that opened is あたらしい みせ が できた.

Where you hear できる

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Beginner Level 2

  • うち では しちじ に ごはん が できます。 At my house, dinner is ready at seven.
  • カレー が できました。 The curry is ready.
  • もう すぐ カレー が できます。 The curry will be ready soon.
22
Cooking Curry

Beginner Level 2 · できました！

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).