Meaning
A formal way to say that an action is possible or that someone is able to do it.
Formation
- Dictionary form + ことができる: 話すことができます
- Action noun: N + が + できる: 運転ができます
- More formal and neutral than the potential form
When to use it
- Core use
- Be able to do, formal wording
Example
私は日本語を少し話すことができます
I can speak a little Japanese.
Important notes
- Pay attention to the word form before the construction and to the particles around it.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate the pattern word for word; first identify its function in the whole situation.