Dekiru

Dekiru is a Japanese verb meaning “to be able to do” or “to be possible.” It is written with the kanji 出来る (dekiru) or, in everyday writing, in kana as できる. The word expresses ability, capability, or feasibility, and it is used in a variety of grammatical constructions.

Etymology and forms: 出来る comes from 出来 (deki) plus the auxiliary る, and is treated as a regular ichidan (ru) verb in modern Japanese. Its polite form is できます, its plain present form is できる, and its negative is できない. The past forms are できた and できませんでした. A common construction to express ability with any verb is ～ことができる, as in 日本語を話すことができる “I can speak Japanese.” A shorter, colloquial alternative is the potential form of the verb itself, such as 話せる for “can speak.”

Usage: Dekiru expresses personal ability (I can) and general feasibility (it is possible). With動詞 (verbs), the pattern V + ことができる or the colloquial V + られる/える forms can be used depending on preference and register. It also appears in phrases describing readiness or completion: 料理が出来る means the dish is prepared or finished, depending on context. In formal speech, できます or できません is commonly used, while casual speech often uses できる or 話せる.

Notes: Although closely related in meaning to “can” in English, dekiru can emphasize either personal ability or external feasibility, depending on construction. Distinct but related expressions include 〜ことができました (I was able to…) and ようになる (to come to be able to…).