日: 2026年5月1日

We have already learned the construction for “Someone can do something”. It is one of “wa-ga constructions”, but there are two types. One uses an action noun with “ga”, the other uses a verb with “koto ga”. Examples are as below;

– Satou-san wa Eigo ga dekimasu. (Sato-san can speak English.)

– Satou-san wa Eigo de Tegami o Kaku koto ga dekimasu. (Sato-san can write a letter in English.)

These sentences with “ga dekimasu” expresses that someone has his/her ability to do something. But there is another type of sentences about “can do something”. Compare the following two sentences;

1. Watashi wa 1000 me’etoru Oyogu koto ga dekimasu. (I can swim one thousand meters.)

2. Kono Pu’uru wa Yoru Juu-ji made Oyogu koto ga dekimasu. (We can swim until 10p.m. in this pool.)

Although both 1 and 2 are saying “can swim”, two sentence express different kind of “can do”. What we learn today is the type of the sentence 2, which expresses that the situation allows someone to do something.

Practice and remember the following sentences;

[Active Noun] ga dekimasu.

3. Koko de Shokuji ga dekimasu. (You can eat here.)

4. Sumaho de Kippu no Yoyaku ga dekimasu. (You can reserve tickets using your smartphone.)

[Verb in Dictionary Form]+koto ga dekimasu

5. Sumaho de Kippu o Yoyakusuru koto ga dekimasu. (You can reserve tickets using your smartphone.)

6. Toshokan de Hon o Kariru koto ga dekimasu. (You can borrow a book in the library.)

3 through 6 don’t mean that the subject has an ability to do it. The situation makes possible to do it.

This post was written with reference to the exercise A3 on Section 18 of “Minna no Nihongo (2^nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”