できますか
dekimasu ka
In Japanese, "can you" is expressed as できますか (dekimasu ka), used to ask if someone has the ability or skill to do something.
The phrase is used to inquire about a person's capability or the possibility of an action. It is important to note that できますか is used to ask about ability or possibility, and is distinct from asking for permission, such as using the pattern ～てもいいですか.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The polite form is できますか. For a casual version, you can use できる？, which drops the polite verb ending and the question particle. If you want to be very formal when making a request, you can use the phrase お願いできますか？, which literally means "can I request?" In formal situations, it is also common to precede a request with お手数ですが, which translates to "I apologize for the trouble, but…". For informal requests meaning "Can you do ~ for me?" or "Won't you do ~ for me?", you can use the patterns 〜してくれる？ or 〜してくれない？ with a verb in the te-form.
How do you pronounce it?
dekimasu ka
Did you know?
- The root verb できる also means 'to appear' or 'to be created'. For example, it is used to describe a new shop opening in town or a pimple appearing on the skin.
- To express that something is 'impossible', Japanese speakers often avoid saying できません directly. They may use vague phrases like 難しいです, meaning 'it is difficult', to soften the blow.
- In many contexts, asking できますか can sound like you are questioning the person's actual competence rather than just asking for a favor. To avoid sounding condescending, many people prefer using the te-form with もらえますか instead.
Examples in context
- テニスができますか。Can you play tennis?This example shows how to ask if someone can play tennis using できますか.Tatoeba #232933 by bunbuku, translation #3970793 by coynejeremy
- 君は簿記ができますか。Can you do bookkeeping?This example shows how to ask if someone can do bookkeeping using できますか.Tatoeba #176898 by bunbuku, translation #8389 by CK
- それを証明できますか？Can you prove it?This example shows how to ask if someone can prove something using できますか.Tatoeba #204560 by small_snow, translation #41800 by CK
- お手数ですが、この書類を送っていただけますか？I apologize for the trouble, but could you send this document for me?
- 明日の予定、教えてくれる？Can you tell me about tomorrow's schedule?
- 映画を一緒に見に行かない？Won't you come watch a movie together?
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Kenta are talking about learning a new language.
- 陽葵 Himari健太さんは英語ができますか。Kenta-san wa eigo ga dekimasu ka.Kenta, can you speak English?
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、あまりできません。Iie, amari dekimasen.No, I can't really.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、中国語はできますか。Jaa, chuugokugo wa dekimasu ka.Then, can you speak Chinese?
- 健太 Kentaはい、少しだけできます。Hai, sukoshi dake dekimasu.Yes, I can do it a little bit.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
