できた
dekita
The English word 'could' is expressed in Japanese as できた (dekita).
In Japanese, できた is used to express that a specific action or task was successfully completed in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
できた is the past tense of the verb できる, which means to be able to do or to be completed/finished.
Which one should you use?
To express that someone 'became able to' do something (a change in ability), use the form できるようになった.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form of できた is できました. The negative past form of できた is できなかった.
How do you pronounce it?
dekita
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word できた can describe a romantic relationship that has just formed. If two people start dating, a friend might say they できた to mean they have 'become a couple'.
- The word できた is also used to describe the sudden appearance of a new building or shop. For example, if a new cafe opens on a street, a local might say カフェができた.
- While できた describes a completed task, the phrase できれば is used to say 'if possible'. It turns the concept of ability into a polite way to make a request.
Examples in context
- 食べられるI/you/he/she/it/we/they can eat / could eat
- 寝られるI/you/he/she/it/we/they can sleep / could sleep
- 一人で料理ができた。Hitori de ryouri ga dekita.I could cook by myself.
- 昨日、宿題ができた。Kinou, shukudai ga dekita.I could finish my homework yesterday.
Example conversation
A student talking to a friend about a difficult task.
- 大翔 Hiroto難しい数学の問題ができたよ！Muzukashii suugaku no mondai ga dekita yo!I could solve the difficult math problem!
- 陽葵 Himariすごいね、大翔くん！Sugoi ne, Hiroto-kun!That's amazing, Hiroto!
- 大翔 Hirotoすごく時間がかかったよ。Sugoku jikan ga kakatta yo.It took a lot of time.
- 陽葵 Himariよく頑張ったね。Yoku ganbatta ne.You worked hard.
