Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 42
スマホで なにが できますか What can you do with a smartphone?
Talking about technology and what you "can do". Vocabulary: sumaho, pasokon, apuri, intānetto, dōga, shashin, pasuwādo, saito, tsukau, kensaku, benri, dekiru. Key grammar: "dekimasu" expresses ability and possibility. For skills or languages, use "N ga dekimasu": "nihongo ga dekimasu" (I can speak Japanese). For verbs, use "dictionary form + koto ga dekimasu": "oyogu koto ga dekimasu" (I can swim), "apuri de shashin o okuru koto ga dekimasu" (I can send photos with the app). "Dekimasen" means "cannot". Note: with a verb, do not forget "koto". Thinking of English "I can swim", people tend to say "oyogu dekimasu", but "oyogu koto ga dekimasu" is correct. Culture corner (§6): technology in Japan. Kana corner: long sounds in katakana (sumaho, apuri, pasuwādo).
Dialogue
あたらしい アプリ — A new app
- Yuki マイクさん、あたらしい アプリですね。それで なにが できますか。 Mike, that's a new app. What can you do with it?
- Mike これで しゃしんを おくる できます！ With this I can send photos!
- Yuki いいですね！でも、どうしの ときは「こと」が いりますよ。「しゃしんを おくる ことが できます」です。 Nice! But with a verb you need "koto". It's "shashin o okuru koto ga dekimasu".
- Mike あ、そうか。「しゃしんを おくる ことが できます」ですね。 Oh, I see. It's "shashin o okuru koto ga dekimasu", right.
- Yuki はい、かんぺきです！ほかに なにが できますか。 Yes, perfect! What else can you do?
- Mike どうがを みる ことも できます。それに、にほんごも すこし できます！ I can watch videos too. And I can also do a little Japanese!
Dialogue
スマホは べんり — Smartphones are convenient
- Ken ユキさん、スマホで きっぷを かう ことが できますか。 Yuki, can you buy tickets with a smartphone?
- Yuki はい、できます。アプリで きっぷを かう ことも、みちを けんさくする ことも できます。 Yes, you can. With the app you can both buy tickets and search for directions.
- Ken べんりですね！わたしは まいにち スマホで どうがを みます。 Convenient! I watch videos on my smartphone every day.
- Yuki わたしも！でも、パスワードは むずかしいですね。ときどき わすれます。 Me too! But passwords are hard, aren't they. I sometimes forget them.
- Ken そうですね。でも スマホは べんりです。パソコンより べんりです。 True. But smartphones are convenient. More convenient than a computer.
- Yuki ほんとうに そうですね！わたしは スマホが いちばん すきです。 That's so true! I like my smartphone the best.
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| スマホ | sumaho | n. | smartphone |
| パソコン | pasokon | n. | computer, PC |
| アプリ | apuri | n. | app |
| インターネット | intānetto | n. | internet |
| どうが | dōga | n. | video |
| しゃしん | shashin | n. | photo |
| パスワード | pasuwādo | n. | password |
| サイト | saito | n. | website, site |
| つかう | tsukau (tsukaimasu) | v. | to use |
| けんさくする | kensaku suru (kensaku shimasu) | v. | to search (online) |
| べんり | benri | na-adj. | convenient |
| できる | dekiru (dekimasu) | v. | can do, to be able to |
Grammar
できます：Nが できます／Vことが できます Can: N ga dekimasu / V koto ga dekimasu
「できます」で、のうりょく（〜が じょうずに できる）や かのう（〜が かのうだ）を あらわします。ふたつの かたちが あります。①ぎのう・ことばなどの めいしには「Nが できます」：「にほんごが できます」（にほんごを はなす ことが できる）、「テニスが できます」。②どうしには、「じしょけい＋ことが できます」：「およぐ ことが できます」「アプリで しゃしんを おくる ことが できます」。ひていは「できません」：「かんじを よむ ことが できません」。しつもんは「できますか」。だいじな ちゅうい：どうしの ときは かならず「こと」が いります。えいごの「I can swim」は どうしが ひとつですが、にほんごでは「およぐ＋ことが できる」の かたちに します。「およぐ できます」✗ →「およぐ ことが できます」○。「Nが できます」の「が」を「を」に しないように も きを つけましょう：「にほんごを できます」✗ →「にほんごが できます」○。
"Dekimasu" expresses ability (being able to do ~ well) and possibility (~ is possible). There are two patterns. (1) For nouns such as skills or languages: "N ga dekimasu": "nihongo ga dekimasu" (I can speak Japanese, i.e. I am able to speak Japanese), "tenisu ga dekimasu". (2) For verbs: "dictionary form + koto ga dekimasu": "oyogu koto ga dekimasu" (I can swim), "apuri de shashin o okuru koto ga dekimasu" (I can send photos with the app). The negative is "dekimasen": "kanji o yomu koto ga dekimasen" (I can't read kanji). The question is "dekimasu ka". Important note: with a verb you always need "koto". English "I can swim" has one verb, but in Japanese you make the shape "oyogu + koto ga dekiru": "oyogu dekimasu" ✗ → "oyogu koto ga dekimasu" ○. Also be careful not to change the "ga" of "N ga dekimasu" to "o": "nihongo o dekimasu" ✗ → "nihongo ga dekimasu" ○.
- わたしは にほんごが できます。 Watashi wa nihongo ga dekimasu. I can speak Japanese.
- この アプリで しゃしんを おくる ことが できます。 Kono apuri de shashin o okuru koto ga dekimasu. You can send photos with this app.
- スマホで どうがを みる ことが できます。 Sumaho de dōga o miru koto ga dekimasu. You can watch videos on a smartphone.
- わたしは およぐ ことが できません。 Watashi wa oyogu koto ga dekimasen. I can't swim.
- ここで インターネットを つかう ことが できますか。 Koko de intānetto o tsukau koto ga dekimasu ka. Can you use the internet here?
Culture
にほんの テクノロジー Technology in Japan
Japan is called a country of technology, but everyday digital life has its own Japanese character. The smartphone is at the center of life: contacting people, shopping, trains — you can do many things with a smartphone.
Messaging is "LINE"
The most-used messaging app in Japan is "LINE". More people use LINE than the apps popular in other countries. You can express feelings with cute "stamps" (stickers), and you can also use LINE to keep in touch with family, friends and work. People often exchange a "LINE ID" rather than a phone number.
Money and IC cards
On trains and at convenience stores you can pay with IC cards like "Suica" or "PASMO", or with your phone — you just tap the card lightly. But in Japan cash is still used a lot. Recently, more shops let you pay with a QR code such as "PayPay". Since the way you pay differs from shop to shop, it is reassuring to carry a little cash too.
A convenient daily life
Japan has a great many vending machines (jihanki), where you can buy drinks and even tickets. Trains are precise about time, and you can search times and routes with an app. On the other hand, offices still sometimes use paper and fax. The way new technology and old habits exist side by side is one of the interesting things about Japan.
Technology is quietly woven into daily life in Japan. Once you learn words like "apuri", "saito" and "pasuwādo", life in Japan becomes even more convenient. To start, try using one Japanese app on your smartphone.
kana
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →