Hashireru

Hashireru is the potential form of the Japanese verb hashiru, meaning to run. Written as 走れる in kanji and kana, hashireru expresses the ability or possibility to run. It is used to indicate that someone or something can run, whether in a physical sense, such as running a distance, or in a more metaphorical sense, such as a machine being able to operate.

Morphology and usage details: Hashiru is a godan (u-verb). The potential form replaces the final -u with -eru, giving hashireru. In polite speech, the present potential commonly appears as hashiremasu. The negative form is hashirenai, and the past potential is hashireta (was able to run). The negative past is hashirenakatta. The form can be used in various tenses and aspects by combining with appropriate auxiliary verbs, for example, hashireteiru (is able to run) or hashireru to convey ongoing ability in different contexts.

Examples:

- 彼は山道を早く走れる。He can run fast on a mountain path.

- 私も長距離を走れるようになりたい。I want to become able to run long distances.

- この靴なら私でも走れる。With these shoes, even I can run.

Notes: Hashireru is primarily a grammatical form rather than a standalone lexical item beyond its role as the potential of hashiru. It can appear in everyday conversation, sports commentary, fiction, and instructional contexts to state capability or possibility. In translation, it is often rendered as “can/run” or “be able to run,” depending on the sentence.

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