How to Say “I Can…” in Japanese: ～ことができます for Beginners

Imagine that you have just met someone at a class or a new job. They ask about your languages, hobbies, or practical skills. In English, your answer might begin with “I can…” In Japanese, one clear beginner pattern is ～ことができます (koto ga dekimasu).

The short answer

The sentence begins with the action 泳ぐ (oyogu, to swim). The ending ことができます (koto ga dekimasu, can do) turns that action into something you are able to do.

In Japanese (日本語, nihongo), you could include 私は (watashi wa, as for me), but it is usually left out when everyone already knows that you are talking about yourself. That is why the examples can begin directly with the action.

For now, remember the shape through familiar actions: 泳ぐ (oyogu, swim), 話す (hanasu, speak), and 読む (yomu, read).

What ことができます is doing

A verb such as 泳ぐ describes an action. Adding こと after that verb lets Japanese treat the whole action as a thing or activity. Then できます says that the activity is possible.

You do not need to translate こと word by word every time. It is more useful to hear the whole pattern as “can do…” or “be able to do…”.

Here, 英語 (eigo, English)を読む is the complete action “read English.” The pattern turns that whole action into the ability being described.

Some abilities can also be expressed with a noun plus ができます. 料理 (ryouri, cooking)ができます is a natural compact way to say that you can cook. The longer verb pattern is especially useful when you want to name a more specific action.

Build the sentence one piece at a time

Start with the dictionary form of the action. This is the basic form you see in a dictionary, such as 泳ぐ, 読む, or 話す.

Now add こと. You are no longer simply naming the verb; you are referring to the activity of swimming.

Finally, add ができます.

The same process works with a longer action. Keep the object and its particle before the verb.

1. 日本語を話すNihongo o hanasuto speak Japanese
2. 日本語を話すことができますNihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu.I can speak Japanese.

The important detail is the form before こと. Use 話す, not 話します. The polite form belongs at the end of the sentence, inside できます.

Talk about the skills that matter to you

This pattern becomes memorable when the examples are true for you. Think about the languages you use, the things you do at home, and the skills you use at work or school.

1. 日本語を読むことができますNihongo o yomu koto ga dekimasu.I can read Japanese.
2. 英語を話すことができますEigo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu.I can speak English.
3. 料理ができますRyouri ga dekimasu.I can cook.

Notice that none of these sentences contains a separate word for “I.” The missing subject is not a mistake. It is simply understood from the conversation.

If you are listing abilities during a self-introduction, one sentence can lead naturally into the next.

This example shows how the pattern can sit inside a real introduction instead of appearing as an isolated grammar formula.

Ask someone what they can do

To turn the sentence into a polite question, add か at the end. The word order does not need to change.

1. 泳ぐことができますかOyogu koto ga dekimasu ka.Can you swim?
2. 日本語を話すことができますかNihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu ka.Can you speak Japanese?

If the action is already clear, the answer can be short.

1. できますDekimasu.Yes, I can.
2. できませんDekimasen.No, I cannot.

A longer answer is useful when you want to repeat or clarify the skill.

Say that you cannot do something yet

Change できます to できません (dekimasen) for the negative. Everything before it stays in the same place.

1. 泳ぐことができませんOyogu koto ga dekimasen.I cannot swim.
2. 日本語を話すことができませんNihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasen.I cannot speak Japanese.

できません describes ability or possibility. It does not mean that you dislike the action or do not want to do it. If you say 泳ぐことができません, the listener understands that swimming is not something you are able to do.

For a learner, the negative does not have to sound final. It can simply describe your ability now. You can follow it with what you can do.

Ability and possibility share the same pattern

So far, the examples have described personal skills. The same pattern can also describe what a place, time, or situation makes possible.

The word ここ (koko, here) makes the place important. This sentence might not be commenting on your swimming skill; it may be telling you that swimming is possible at this location.

That shared meaning is useful: できます can tell us either that a person has an ability or that circumstances allow an action to happen.

Do you mean ability or permission?

English uses “can” in both “Can you swim?” and “Can I swim here?” The first asks about ability. The second often asks for permission. Japanese usually makes that distinction clearer.

Use ～ことができますか when the question is whether the action can be done.

Use ～てもいい (ii, good or allowed)ですか when you are asking whether the action is allowed. This is the safer choice when English “can I…?” really means “may I…?”

The difference is not just a grammar test. It changes what you are asking the other person to tell you: your ability, practical possibility, or their permission.

Common mistakes to catch early

• Do not put the ～ます form before こと. Say 泳ぐことができます, not 泳ぎますことができます.
• Do not add です after できます. The polite ending is already complete.
• Do not use できません when you only mean “I do not want to.” It says that you cannot do the action.
• Do not use an ability question when you need permission. Choose ～てもいいですか for “May I…?”

If a sentence feels crowded, check it from the end. できます is the polite ending. Immediately before it comes ことが. Before that comes the dictionary-form action.

Questions beginners often have

Can I just say できます?

Yes. When the action is already clear, できます can mean “I can” or “It is possible.” Use the full ～ことができます pattern when you need to name the action.

Is ことができます always about a personal skill?

No. It can describe a person's ability or an action that is possible because of a place or situation. Compare “I can swim” with “You can swim here.”

Is there a shorter way to express ability?

Yes. Many Japanese verbs also have a potential form, such as 泳げます (oyogemasu, can swim) and 話せます (hanasemasu, can speak). The ～ことができます pattern is still useful for beginners because the same structure works with many different actions.

Practise ことができます

First, say these lines aloud without changing anything. Listen for the steady ending ことができます.

1. 泳ぐことができますOyogu koto ga dekimasu.I can swim.
2. 日本語を話すことができますNihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu.I can speak Japanese.
3. 英語を読むことができますEigo o yomu koto ga dekimasu.I can read English.

Next, keep the ending and replace only the action. Try 泳ぐ, 読む, or 日本語を話す. Then choose one ability that is actually true for you.

A short conversation

1. 日本語を話すことができますかNihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu ka.Can you speak Japanese?
2. 話すことはできませんが、読むことはできますHanasu koto wa dekimasen ga, yomu koto wa dekimasu.I cannot speak it, but I can read it.

Now answer with one real skill of your own. You do not need a perfect or impressive answer. The goal is to make the pattern belong to you.

Check what you can now say

1. Which form of the verb comes before ことができます?
2. How do you say “I can swim”?
3. How do you turn できます into “cannot”?
4. How would you ask “Can you read Japanese?”
5. Which pattern asks for permission: ～ことができますか or ～てもいいですか?

Answers

1. The dictionary form, such as 泳ぐ, 読む, or 話す.
2. 泳ぐことができます (oyogu koto ga dekimasu).
3. Change it to できません (dekimasen).
4. 日本語を読むことができますか (nihongo o yomu koto ga dekimasu ka).
5. ～てもいいですか (te mo ii desu ka).

Keep this in mind

Put the dictionary form of an action before ことができます to say what you can do, and change できます to できません for what you cannot do yet. Add か to ask someone else. When you are really asking for permission rather than ability, switch to ～てもいいですか instead.

Continue learning

Choose a few useful actions from the YapaneseAI vocabulary library and make one true sentence about yourself with each. If reading the examples slows you down, review the hiragana and katakana charts before practising aloud.