NIHONGO DAISUKI ! 日本語 だいすき!
  • CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
    • REI - STARTING THE LESSON
    • THINGS STUDENTS SAY
    • THINGS TEACHERS SAY
    • CLASSROOM OBJECTS
    • KIMOCHI - FEELINGS
  • YEARS 7 & 8
    • WEATHER AND FEELINGS >
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • LANGUAGE REFERENCE - WEATHER AND FEELINGS
  • YEAR 9
    • AISATSU - GREETINGS
    • GREETINGS ANIME
    • JIKO SHOUKAI - SELF INTRODUCTION
    • NAMAE - NAMES
    • BANGOU - NUMBERS
    • NAN SAI? - HOW OLD ARE YOU?
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY
    • KUNI - COUNTRIES
    • WHERE WE LIVE
    • SPORTS AND PASTIMES
    • LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • YURU KYARA - CHARACTER MASCOTS
    • PARTS OF THE BODY - FACES
    • THE BODY - KARADA
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • WHAT'S IT LIKE - DESCRIBING WORDS
    • TENKI - WEATHER
    • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
    • SUBEJECT LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • GAKKOU - SCHOOL
    • HIRAGANA
    • YEAR 9 STUDENTS
  • YEAR 10
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY >
      • TANGO - VOCABULARY
      • NAN NIN? - HOW MANY PEOPLE?
      • DARE GA IMASU KA -WHO IS THERE?
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCE
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • SHIGOTO - JOBS
    • TABEMONO - FOOD >
      • ORDERING IN A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
    • HOUSING >
      • AROUND HOME - VOCABULARY
      • WHAT'S IT LIKE? - DOU DESU KA?
      • ARIMASU-THERE IS/THERE ARE
      • HITOTSU ARIMASU-THERE IS ONE
      • IN/ON/UNDER - PREPOSITIONS
      • SAYING WHAT THERE IS AND WHERE
      • ASKING AND SAYING WHERE SOMETHING IS
      • KORE/SORE/ARE - THIS/THAT
    • SEIKATSU - DAILY LIFE >
      • VERBS - DAILY ACTIVITIES
      • HOW OFTEN?
      • TOMORROW - FUTURE TIME WORDS
      • PAST ACTIVITIES
      • YESTERDAY - PAST TIME WORDS
      • JIKAN - TIME
      • YOUBI - DAYS OF THE WEEK
    • YEAR 10 GAKKOU >
      • KYOUKA - SUBJECTS
      • SCHOOL VOCABULARY
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • DOUBUTSU - ANIMALS >
      • STORIES AND SONGS >
        • Zou no hana - The Elephant's Nose
        • Kobutanukitsuneko
    • YEAR 10 KANJI
  • YEAR 11
    • Y11 LANGUAGE INDEX >
      • THINGS AROUND TOWN
      • NANI GA ARU? - WHAT IS THERE?
      • MAE / YOKO / USHIRO - Locations
      • ADJECTIVES - REVIEW
      • CHIISAKUTE, FURUI - Small and old - Joining adjectives
      • EKI GA ATTE, BENRI DESU - Forming compound sentences
      • IROIRONA MACHI - Descriptions of various towns
      • TARI-TARI - Do things like...
      • KARA - from, because, after >
        • KARA = FROM
        • KARA = BECAUSE/SO
        • KARA = AFTER
      • DOU YATTE IKU? - Giving Directions
      • NANI GA DEKIRU? - WHAT CAN WE DO THERE?
      • ASOBI NI KITE - COME AND VISIT
      • MACHI ONLINE READING LINKS
      • COUNTERS
      • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
      • AKAI NO GA HOSHII - I WANT THE RED ONE
      • IKURA - HOW MUCH?
      • SORE WO KUDASAI - THAT ONE PLEASE
      • NANI GA II - WHAT WOULD BE GOOD?
      • NI SHIMASU - EXPRESSING A DECISION
      • TO OMOU - I THINK
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • GIVING & RECEIVING - AGERU KURERU MORAU
      • OISHISOU - LOOKS DELICIOUS
      • TABETAI - WANT TO EAT
      • TSUMORI - INTEND
      • DESCRIBING PEOPLE
      • MOU, MADA - ALREADY, NOT YET
      • SUGIRU - Too much
      • NAGARA - While doing
      • TE MO II - PERMISSION
      • NARIMASU -BECOME
      • CONNECTIVES - Joining words
    • WATASHI-TACHI NO MACHI - OUR TOWN
    • KAIMONO - SHOPPING 1
    • KURISUMASU - CHRISTMAS
    • OTHER LANGUAGE NOTES
    • PRESENTATIONS - Oral language features
    • NCEA LEVEL 1 KANJI
    • FUNNY JAPANESE COMMERCIALS
  • YEAR 12
    • YEAR 12 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • ~NO HOU GA - COMPARISONS/ MORE ~ THAN
      • ICHIBAN~ - COMPARISONS/THE MOST
      • HODO. . . NAI - COMPARISONS/ NOT AS~AS
      • ONAJI GURAI - COMPARISONS/ SAME AS
      • DOUSHI - VERBS
      • KOTO GA DEKIRU - CAN DO
      • KOTO NI SURU - DECIDE TO DO
      • SURU MAE NI - BEFORE WE DO
      • -TA ATODE - AFTER WE'VE DONE
      • CHIISAI TOKI - WHEN I WAS LITTLE
      • VERB AIDA - WHILE VERBING
      • -TE MIRU - TRY SOMETHING AND SEE
      • KISETSU - SEASONS
      • USING と FOR IF/WHEN
      • NO - NOMINALISING ADJECTIVES
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • AME GA FUTTE IMASU - IT'S RAINING
      • NO/KOTO - NOMINALISERS 2
      • RELATIVE CLAUSES
      • TE FORM + IKU/KURU
      • REPORTED SPEECH-SOU DESU
      • DOU YATTE - HOW TO
      • YARIKATA - HOW TO
      • KOTO GA ARIMASU KA - HAVE YOU EVER...
      • TARA - IF
      • TABETE SHIMAIMASHITA - ENDED UP EATING
      • NANI KA/DARE KA - SOMETHING/ SOMEBODY
      • NANI MO/DARE MO - SOMETHING/ NOTHING
      • BEGIN DOING - SHIHAJIMERU
      • TAME NI - IN ORDER TO/FOR THE SAKE OF
      • SHIKA NAI - NOTHING BUT
    • NCEA LEVEL 2 KANJI
    • ONLINE READING LINKS
    • HOMESTAY UNIT VOCABULARY
  • YEAR 13
    • YEAR 13 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • NODE - EXPLAINING CONSEQUENCES
      • ~SHI - EMPHASISING SUPPORTING INFORMATION
      • ~NARA - IF
      • ~TARA II - SHOULD
      • ~SHITA HOU GA II - OUGHT TO
      • ~SHINAI HOU GA II - OUGHT NOT TO
      • ~KOTO NI NARU - IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT~
      • ~NAKEREBA NARANAI - I HAVE TO
      • ~NAKEREBA IKENAI - YOU HAVE TO
      • ~NAKUTE MO II - YOU DON'T HAVE TO
      • ~RARERU - THE POTENTIAL FORM
      • ~TE HOSHII - WANT SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE MORAU - GET SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE KURERU - SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING FOR US
      • ~KA DOU KA - EXPRESSING UNCERTAINTY
      • ~ TSUMORI WA NAI - HAVE NO INTENTION OF ~
      • ~HAZU DA - EXPECTATION/SHOULD BE
      • ~TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE VERBS
    • NCEA LEVEL 3 KANJI
  • VERBS
    • ICHI(1)-DAN VERBS
    • GO(5)-DAN VERBS >
      • う-VERBS
      • く-VERBS
      • ぐ-VERBS
      • す-VERBS
      • つ-VERBS
      • ぬ-VERBS
      • ぶ-VERBS
      • む-VERBS
      • る-VERBS
    • IRREGULAR VERBS
    • VERB TENSES - HOW TO USE THEM
  • STUDENT BLOGS
    • ALBAN
    • AUSTIN
    • JAMIE
    • JANE
    • JORDAN
    • KOUSHI
    • MIA
    • OLIVIA
    • PAIGE
    • TANE
    • TEAGUE
    • エイデン
    • エリース
    • オスティン
    • カーラ
    • コーバン
    • コナーF.
    • コナーT.
    • サム
    • シャンテル
    • ニック
    • ハナ H.
    • ハナ M.
    • パトリック
    • マギー
    • トム
    • ホリー
  • LINKS AND RESOURCES
    • VIDEO RESOURCES
    • LISTENING RESOURCES
    • ONLINE COURSES
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TOBU KOTO GA DEKIRU - I CAN FLY!

よむ  こと  が
​できます

I can read

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YOMU KOTO GA DEKIRU - HE CAN READ?

TO EXPRESS ABILITY : : SAYING WHAT WE ARE/ARE NOT ABLE TO DO

やっと、かんじ  を  よむ  こと  が  できます。
At last, I can read kanji!


USE THE DICTIONARY FORM OF THE VERB, FOLLOWED BY こと  が  できる/ こと  は  できない
  • Remember, できる means 'be able to'
  • こと is a word that refers to abstract things like ideas and concepts. When we add こと to a verb, it makes the verb behave like a noun so that we can add 'ga dekiru'. We already know how to say 'Piano ga dekiru' - 'Piano is possible / I can piano' (OK, it sounds weird in English, but it works in Japanese!). Now, we can say, 'Piano wo hiku koto ga dekiru', which means, 'Piano playing is possible'. Or in other words, 'I can play the piano'. 
    Nihongo ga dekiru (I can Japanese) vs. Nihongo wo hanasu koto ga dekiru (I can speak Japanese). 
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よむ (read)
よむ  こと  が  できます。
  • I can read.
よむ  こと  が  できません。
  • I can't read.
​Note how the particle が changes to は when we want to contrast what we can and can't do.
わたし  は、ひらがな を  よむ  ことが  できます  が、かんじ を  よむ  ことは  できません。
  • I can read hiragana, but I can't read kanji.

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のる (ride)
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じてんしゃ に  のる  こと  が  できます。
  • I can ride a bicycle.
うま に  のる  こと  が  できません。
  • I can't ride a horse.
​Note how the particle が changes to は when we want to contrast what we can and can't do.
わたし  は、じてんしゃ に  のる  ことが  できます  が、うま に  のる  ことは  できません。
  • I can ride a bicycle, but I can't ride a horse.

WITH  たりたり - 'YOU CAN DO THINGS LIKE...'

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ジェットコースター に  のったり  友だちとあそんだり  する こと  が  できます。
  • (You) can do things like riding on the jet coaster and hanging out with friends.
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おんせん に  入ったり  ゆっくりしたり  する こと  が  できます。
  • (You) can do things like going in onsens and relaxing.

WITH   ながら +  たりたり - 'WHILE DOING (SUCH AND SUCH), YOU CAN DO THINGS LIKE...'

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おいしいケーキを食べながら、じどりをしたり  する こと  が  できます。
  • (You) can do things like taking selfies while eating yummy cakes.

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PRACTISE THESE STRUCTURES ON QUIZLET
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CLIP ART USED THROUGHOUT THIS SITE IS FROM IRASUTOYA.COM. CLICK THE LOGO TO SEE MORE AMAZING CLIP ART FROM ILLUSTRATOR, TAKASHI MIFUNE.
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Copyright © 2020
  • CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
    • REI - STARTING THE LESSON
    • THINGS STUDENTS SAY
    • THINGS TEACHERS SAY
    • CLASSROOM OBJECTS
    • KIMOCHI - FEELINGS
  • YEARS 7 & 8
    • WEATHER AND FEELINGS >
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • LANGUAGE REFERENCE - WEATHER AND FEELINGS
  • YEAR 9
    • AISATSU - GREETINGS
    • GREETINGS ANIME
    • JIKO SHOUKAI - SELF INTRODUCTION
    • NAMAE - NAMES
    • BANGOU - NUMBERS
    • NAN SAI? - HOW OLD ARE YOU?
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY
    • KUNI - COUNTRIES
    • WHERE WE LIVE
    • SPORTS AND PASTIMES
    • LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • YURU KYARA - CHARACTER MASCOTS
    • PARTS OF THE BODY - FACES
    • THE BODY - KARADA
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • WHAT'S IT LIKE - DESCRIBING WORDS
    • TENKI - WEATHER
    • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
    • SUBEJECT LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • GAKKOU - SCHOOL
    • HIRAGANA
    • YEAR 9 STUDENTS
  • YEAR 10
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY >
      • TANGO - VOCABULARY
      • NAN NIN? - HOW MANY PEOPLE?
      • DARE GA IMASU KA -WHO IS THERE?
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCE
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • SHIGOTO - JOBS
    • TABEMONO - FOOD >
      • ORDERING IN A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
    • HOUSING >
      • AROUND HOME - VOCABULARY
      • WHAT'S IT LIKE? - DOU DESU KA?
      • ARIMASU-THERE IS/THERE ARE
      • HITOTSU ARIMASU-THERE IS ONE
      • IN/ON/UNDER - PREPOSITIONS
      • SAYING WHAT THERE IS AND WHERE
      • ASKING AND SAYING WHERE SOMETHING IS
      • KORE/SORE/ARE - THIS/THAT
    • SEIKATSU - DAILY LIFE >
      • VERBS - DAILY ACTIVITIES
      • HOW OFTEN?
      • TOMORROW - FUTURE TIME WORDS
      • PAST ACTIVITIES
      • YESTERDAY - PAST TIME WORDS
      • JIKAN - TIME
      • YOUBI - DAYS OF THE WEEK
    • YEAR 10 GAKKOU >
      • KYOUKA - SUBJECTS
      • SCHOOL VOCABULARY
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • DOUBUTSU - ANIMALS >
      • STORIES AND SONGS >
        • Zou no hana - The Elephant's Nose
        • Kobutanukitsuneko
    • YEAR 10 KANJI
  • YEAR 11
    • Y11 LANGUAGE INDEX >
      • THINGS AROUND TOWN
      • NANI GA ARU? - WHAT IS THERE?
      • MAE / YOKO / USHIRO - Locations
      • ADJECTIVES - REVIEW
      • CHIISAKUTE, FURUI - Small and old - Joining adjectives
      • EKI GA ATTE, BENRI DESU - Forming compound sentences
      • IROIRONA MACHI - Descriptions of various towns
      • TARI-TARI - Do things like...
      • KARA - from, because, after >
        • KARA = FROM
        • KARA = BECAUSE/SO
        • KARA = AFTER
      • DOU YATTE IKU? - Giving Directions
      • NANI GA DEKIRU? - WHAT CAN WE DO THERE?
      • ASOBI NI KITE - COME AND VISIT
      • MACHI ONLINE READING LINKS
      • COUNTERS
      • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
      • AKAI NO GA HOSHII - I WANT THE RED ONE
      • IKURA - HOW MUCH?
      • SORE WO KUDASAI - THAT ONE PLEASE
      • NANI GA II - WHAT WOULD BE GOOD?
      • NI SHIMASU - EXPRESSING A DECISION
      • TO OMOU - I THINK
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • GIVING & RECEIVING - AGERU KURERU MORAU
      • OISHISOU - LOOKS DELICIOUS
      • TABETAI - WANT TO EAT
      • TSUMORI - INTEND
      • DESCRIBING PEOPLE
      • MOU, MADA - ALREADY, NOT YET
      • SUGIRU - Too much
      • NAGARA - While doing
      • TE MO II - PERMISSION
      • NARIMASU -BECOME
      • CONNECTIVES - Joining words
    • WATASHI-TACHI NO MACHI - OUR TOWN
    • KAIMONO - SHOPPING 1
    • KURISUMASU - CHRISTMAS
    • OTHER LANGUAGE NOTES
    • PRESENTATIONS - Oral language features
    • NCEA LEVEL 1 KANJI
    • FUNNY JAPANESE COMMERCIALS
  • YEAR 12
    • YEAR 12 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • ~NO HOU GA - COMPARISONS/ MORE ~ THAN
      • ICHIBAN~ - COMPARISONS/THE MOST
      • HODO. . . NAI - COMPARISONS/ NOT AS~AS
      • ONAJI GURAI - COMPARISONS/ SAME AS
      • DOUSHI - VERBS
      • KOTO GA DEKIRU - CAN DO
      • KOTO NI SURU - DECIDE TO DO
      • SURU MAE NI - BEFORE WE DO
      • -TA ATODE - AFTER WE'VE DONE
      • CHIISAI TOKI - WHEN I WAS LITTLE
      • VERB AIDA - WHILE VERBING
      • -TE MIRU - TRY SOMETHING AND SEE
      • KISETSU - SEASONS
      • USING と FOR IF/WHEN
      • NO - NOMINALISING ADJECTIVES
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • AME GA FUTTE IMASU - IT'S RAINING
      • NO/KOTO - NOMINALISERS 2
      • RELATIVE CLAUSES
      • TE FORM + IKU/KURU
      • REPORTED SPEECH-SOU DESU
      • DOU YATTE - HOW TO
      • YARIKATA - HOW TO
      • KOTO GA ARIMASU KA - HAVE YOU EVER...
      • TARA - IF
      • TABETE SHIMAIMASHITA - ENDED UP EATING
      • NANI KA/DARE KA - SOMETHING/ SOMEBODY
      • NANI MO/DARE MO - SOMETHING/ NOTHING
      • BEGIN DOING - SHIHAJIMERU
      • TAME NI - IN ORDER TO/FOR THE SAKE OF
      • SHIKA NAI - NOTHING BUT
    • NCEA LEVEL 2 KANJI
    • ONLINE READING LINKS
    • HOMESTAY UNIT VOCABULARY
  • YEAR 13
    • YEAR 13 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • NODE - EXPLAINING CONSEQUENCES
      • ~SHI - EMPHASISING SUPPORTING INFORMATION
      • ~NARA - IF
      • ~TARA II - SHOULD
      • ~SHITA HOU GA II - OUGHT TO
      • ~SHINAI HOU GA II - OUGHT NOT TO
      • ~KOTO NI NARU - IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT~
      • ~NAKEREBA NARANAI - I HAVE TO
      • ~NAKEREBA IKENAI - YOU HAVE TO
      • ~NAKUTE MO II - YOU DON'T HAVE TO
      • ~RARERU - THE POTENTIAL FORM
      • ~TE HOSHII - WANT SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE MORAU - GET SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE KURERU - SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING FOR US
      • ~KA DOU KA - EXPRESSING UNCERTAINTY
      • ~ TSUMORI WA NAI - HAVE NO INTENTION OF ~
      • ~HAZU DA - EXPECTATION/SHOULD BE
      • ~TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE VERBS
    • NCEA LEVEL 3 KANJI
  • VERBS
    • ICHI(1)-DAN VERBS
    • GO(5)-DAN VERBS >
      • う-VERBS
      • く-VERBS
      • ぐ-VERBS
      • す-VERBS
      • つ-VERBS
      • ぬ-VERBS
      • ぶ-VERBS
      • む-VERBS
      • る-VERBS
    • IRREGULAR VERBS
    • VERB TENSES - HOW TO USE THEM
  • STUDENT BLOGS
    • ALBAN
    • AUSTIN
    • JAMIE
    • JANE
    • JORDAN
    • KOUSHI
    • MIA
    • OLIVIA
    • PAIGE
    • TANE
    • TEAGUE
    • エイデン
    • エリース
    • オスティン
    • カーラ
    • コーバン
    • コナーF.
    • コナーT.
    • サム
    • シャンテル
    • ニック
    • ハナ H.
    • ハナ M.
    • パトリック
    • マギー
    • トム
    • ホリー
  • LINKS AND RESOURCES
    • VIDEO RESOURCES
    • LISTENING RESOURCES
    • ONLINE COURSES