AS/JP2000 6.0 Lecture 25

Potential [kanoo hyoogen]

1. Form:

          Strong (Conjugation) Verbs: Vst +ERU
               kak-eru/mat-eru/hanas-eru/yom-eru
     
          Weak (Conjugation) Verbs: Vst +RARERU           
               tabe-rareru/mi-rareru/i-rareru/ki-rareru 'be able to wear'

          Irregular Verbs:
               ko-rareru/dekiru[suru]/ik-areru [also ik-eru]
[N.B.]
        There exists a strong tendency to unify the potential forms into the 
	-ERU version. Thus, you may often hear the following forms. 
        tabereru/dereru/kireru/agereru/ikeru/koreru .....  

        This is probably caused by associating the potential forms of 
	RU-ending strong conjugation verbs such as kaer-eru, kir-eru 'be able 
	to cut', tomar-eru  with weak conjugation verbs, all of which end in 
	RU in their citation forms.

2. Potential verbs are intransitive

     Particle change:    O ---> GA

     Nihongo o hanashimasu.        --->   Nihongo ga hanasemasu.
     Shokudoo de biiru o nomimasu. --->   Shokudoo de biiru ga nomemasu.

[N.B.]
          Nowadays particle O is often used with potentials in certain contexts in
          which O indicates a more positive attitude.

               Nihongo o/ga hanaseru hito
               Kono shiken o/ga pasu-dekireba, moo daijoobu desu.

3. Politeness connection

                    | morae masu    |
          Vte +     | morae masen   |  ka?
                    | itadake masen |

          Chotto denwa o kashite moraemasen ka?
          Kono kotoba no imi o oshiete itadakemasen ka?

[N.B.]  1. Sometimes potential questions can be impolite.

               Eego ga hanasemasu ka?
               Kono shigoto ga dekimasu ka?

        2. Japanese potentials cannot be used for permission or request.

               *Denwa ga tsukaemasu ka?      *Hai, tsukaemasu.
               "Can/May I use the phone?     "Yes, you can/may." 
               *Koohii o ippai motte koraremasu ka?
               "Can you bring me a cup of coffee?"

4. Contextually preferred potentials

          Nihongo ga hanaseru yoo ni naritai desu.
          Rainen sotsugyoo dekiru yoo ni yoku benkyoo-shite imasu.
          Dochira no chiimu mo katenai deshoo.

5. S   KOTO   ga   DEKIRU

          Kuruma o unten-suru koto ga dekimasu ka?
          Nihon-ryoori o tsukuru koto ga dekimasu ka?

[N.B.]

RARERU {intrinsic ability} vs. KOTO GA DEKUIRU {extrinsic possibility}

     Watashi wa sukoshi Nihongo ga hanasemasu.         [ability]
     Koko de wa Nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu.     [possibility]

     This distinction is not very clear-cut in many cases, however.
 

Prohibition: Vte WA IKENAI

          Mada mite wa ikemasen.
          Koko ni haitte wa ikemasen.
          Hanashi wa nagakute wa ikemasen.
          Kotae wa Roomaji de wa ikemasen.

 Contracted forms: -TE + wa ---> -chaa                 michaa/haitchaa/yonjaa/kichaa
       
     This structure is often used in question for asking permission.

          Mada kaette wa ikemasen ka?
          Iie, moo kaette mo ii desu yo.
          Ee, moo sukoshi ite kudasai.
          Ee, mada kaeranai de kudasai.
         ?Ee, mada kaette wa ikemasen.

Interrogative Pronoun + KA

1.   Particle dropping

          Dareka (ga) kimashita ka?
          Nanika (o) kaimashita ka?

2.   Emphasizing 'some'

          Dokoka shizukana kissaten e ikimashoo.
          Dareka Nihongo ga oshierareru hito wa imasen ka?
          Nanika oishii mono demo tabemashoo.

Particle NI: PURPOSE

     Vn + NI + Motion Verb [iku/kuru/kaeru/modoru/hairu]
          hanashi ni iku 
          yobi ni kuru
          nomi ni hairu
          tabe ni kaeru  

Suffix -CHUU/-JUU

1.   Throughout
          gogo-juu [cf. gozen-chuu]
          ichi-nichi-juu
          hito-ban-juu
          natsu-juu
          hachigatsu-juu
          Nihon-juu
          sekai-juu
          heya-juu
          daigaku-juu

2.   In the middle
          denwa-chuu
          kaigi-chuu
          kooji-chuu
          shigoto-chuu
          ryokoo-chuu
          rusu-chuu
          hanashi-chuu
          benkyoo-chuu
          
3.   Within
          gozen-chuu (ni)
          kotoshi-juu ni
          kon-shuu-juu ni
          kyoo-juu ni
          konban-juu ni
          ashita-juu ni
     
[N.B.]    ichi-jikan inai ni
          mikka-inai ni
          is-shuukan-inai ni                                     
     

Questions without KA

1.   Rising intonation
     
          Kyoo kuru? /
          Eega mi ni ikanai? /
          Kore shitte masu? /
          Osake nomimasu? /
          Dare? /                  [H-L-H] not [L-H]
          Nani? /                  [H-L-H] not [L-H]
          Iku daroo? /

2.   Interrogative pronoun with falling intonation: 'I wonder', 'What do you think?'

          Are nan daroo? \
          Doo shiyoo? \
          Dare daroo? \
          Sore wa itsu deshoo? \
          Itsu okaeri deshoo? \