40588
The source in where I studied told me that you mark the object of potential
form with が particle instead of を particle because potential form is just a
state, no actual action is taken. It specifically told me that を can be used
but が is better. I know how to make sentences where I'm the subject. 山が登れない :
I can't climb the mountain. 彼が言っていることが聞こえない : I can't hear what he is saying.
But what if I want to say "He can't eat apples" or "Alice can't go to school"
or even "Bob can't kill Tanaka". With が、を、は I could be mistaken in saying
"Tanaka can't kill Bob" instead of "Bob can't kill Tanaka". Can が also denote
the subject or only the object?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-02T09:44:01.943
40586
2016-11-03T14:36:21.810
15891
question
grammar potential-form
How to denote the object and the subject of potential form verbs clearly?
The particle you are looking for is に.

  * [Use of に in 「私には本物の若殿様がわかります」](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/24955/5010)
  * [Why say "〜、皆には出来る。" instead of " 〜、皆は出来る。" in this context?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/36481/5010)

> He can't eat apples.  
>  ≒ 彼はりんごを食べられない。  
>  ≒ 彼にりんごは食べられない。
>
> Bob can't kill Tanaka.  
>  ≒ ボブは田中を殺せない。  
>  ≒ ボブに田中は殺せない。
>
> He can't climb this mountain.  
>  ≒ 彼はこの山を登れない。  
>  ≒ 彼にこの山は登れない。
>
> the reason why he can't climb this mountain  
>  ≒ 彼がこの山を登れない理由  
>  ≒ 彼にこの山が登れない理由
>
> He can't hear what I am saying.  
>  ≒ 彼に私が言っていることは聞こえない。  
>  ≒ 彼に私の言っていることは聞こえない。 ([ga-no
> conversion](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/12825/5010))
>
> Alice can't go to school.  
>  アリスは学校に行けない。  
>  (You cannot say アリスに学校に行けない. Probably because there is already に?)

(Different words are topicalized using は, but I don't know which is
"better"...)

_EDIT: changed the fifth example above for consistency._
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-02T11:57:39.093
40588
2016-11-03T14:36:21.810
2017-04-13T12:43:44.863
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answer