～ことができる

RuleVerb dictionary form + koto ga dekiru: can / be able to.

Curiosity

How do you say you "can" do something — ability or possibility?

Intuition

Literally "the act (koto) of doing — is possible (dekiru)". Turn the verb into a noun phrase with koto, then add "is possible".

Visualization

hanasu → hanasu koto → hanasu koto ga dekiru. Nominalize the verb, then dekiru.

話すdictionary form

Essence

koto ga dekiru expresses ability/possibility and is more formal and written than the potential form (hanaseru). In speech the potential form is more common.

Examples

日本語を話すことができます。

I can speak Japanese.

ここで泳ぐことができますか。

Can I swim here?

漢字を読むことができる。

I can read kanji.

Mini-quiz

"watashi wa piano o hiku___." (I can play the piano)