られる (rareru) – Meaning & Usage

られる means can do; potential form. It is a JLPT N4 Japanese grammar pattern used to express the N4 idea of “potential form; can do” in natural Japanese.

This grammar point often appears in conversation, written explanations, formal notices, and JLPT-style reading questions. If you want to express the N4 idea of “potential form; can do” in natural Japanese, られる is a useful pattern to learn after the N5 basics.

What does られる mean?

Use られる when you want to express the N4 idea of “potential form; can do” in natural Japanese.

Natural translations include:

potential form
ability or inability
potential form; can do

How to form られる

Ichidan verb stem + られる

来 + られる

Examples of the pattern:

食(た)べられる
見(み)られる
来(こ)られる

When is られる used?

Use られる in situations like:

explaining a condition, reason, decision, comparison, or time relationship
making a sentence more specific than a basic N5 pattern

Tone and register:

neutral unless the grammar itself is marked as casual, humble, honorific, or formal
Common in daily speech, textbook examples, and JLPT N4 reading questions

られる example sentences

私(わたし)は辛(から)い料理(りょうり)が食(た)べられます。

I can eat spicy food.

ability

ここから富士山(ふじさん)が見(み)られます。

You can see Mt. Fuji from here.

possibility

明日(あした)来(こ)られますか。

Can you come tomorrow?

potential

この図書館(としょかん)で古(ふる)い本(ほん)が読(よ)めます。

You can read old books at this library.

ability

忙(いそが)しくて映画(えいが)を見(み)られませんでした。

I was busy and could not watch the movie.

negation

Try to notice what the grammar point contributes: condition, timing, limitation, possibility, decision, politeness, contrast, or emphasis.

Nuance of られる

The key nuance is potential form; can do in a sentence-specific context.

This matters because られる may look simple in English, but the Japanese form tells you whether the speaker is describing a time, a condition, a decision, a possibility, a contrast, or a social relationship.

For example:

In context, られる helps make the sentence more precise than a direct English translation.
Compared with ことができる, it has a different focus even when both patterns appear in similar sentences.

られる vs ことができる

Both られる and ことができる can appear in related sentences, but they are different.

られる

Ichidan potential form

Direct, natural ability. Common in everyday conversation.

私(わたし)は辛(から)い料理(りょうり)が食(た)べられます。

I can eat spicy food.

ことができる

Nominalized ability construction

Useful for comparison because learners often mix it up. It may use a different form, tone, or sentence focus.

Compare the form and ask whether the sentence is about timing, condition, ability, decision, contrast, or politeness.

If you are unsure which one to use, identify the main job of the sentence before translating it into English.

Common mistakes with られる

❌

Using it with the wrong verb, noun, or adjective form.

✅

Check the verb group before attaching られる; this pattern attaches to ichidan stems and 来る.

❌

Confusing it with ことができる because the English translation can look similar.

✅

Read the whole sentence context instead of relying on a one-word translation.

❌

Translating it too literally instead of reading the whole sentence context.

✅

Focus on what られる contributes to the sentence—ability, possibility, or negation.

Is られる on the JLPT?

Yes. られる is connected to JLPT N4 grammar in this blog.

Recognize it in reading
Understand its nuance in context
Use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for られる

Write one sentence using the basic pattern.

formation

Change the sentence into polite or casual style if possible.

Compare it with the related pattern from the comparison section.

comparison

Learning path for られる

First, make sure you can form られる without looking at the pattern chart.

Next, compare it with ことができる. Choosing between them helps you understand the nuance.

Finally, add やすい or にくい to see how ease and difficulty interact with ability.

Write one sentence that uses られる in its most literal meaning, one sentence that changes the subject or time expression, and one sentence that contrasts it with a related pattern.

ことができる — can; be able to.
やすい — easy to do; prone to.
にくい — hard to do.
づらい — hard to do; emotionally difficult.

Browse more lessons here:

Learn られる with Hane

If you want to review られる together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

FAQ about られる

What does られる (rareru) mean in Japanese?

られる (rareru) means “can do; potential form”. It is JLPT N4 grammar. Use られる when you want to express the N4 idea of “potential form; can do” in natural Japanese.

How do you form られる (rareru)?

Ichidan verb stem + られる来 + られる

What is the difference between られる and ことができる?

られる: Ichidan potential form. ことができる: Nominalized ability construction.

What is an example sentence with られる (rareru)?

私は辛い料理が食べられます。 — I can eat spicy food.