can, be able to
Structure
- Verb + こと・が・できる
- Noun + が・できる
It would definitely help if ことができる changes into ことが出来る when I mouse over it.
It kind of helps me with the logic of the structure. This time I quickly got the actual structure of the sentence, but for some structures it is hard to establish how the grammar point is built up.
Are there situations where ことができる is preferred over the potential form? Or vice versa?
For example, what is the difference between 卵を食べられる and 卵を食べることができる ?
There’s no real difference but I personally use ことができる in more polite/formal situations. It definitely feels more polite. I usually use standard potential form with friends.
I’ve heard that ことができる is more about ability to do something.
While potential form is not only ability to do something but opportunity as well.
So basically if you can’t swim you can say:
泳ぐことができません
Or
泳げません
But if can’t swim because you have homework then you can only say:
宿題なので泳げません
Though I don’t have a link on hand to support this.
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This actually makes a lot of sense and when I say it to myself it sounds right. Thanks.
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