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So I'm studying and I ran into an example that stated to go from a (noun)suru to (noun)dekiru is this:

私は車を運転する　－＞　私は車の運転ができる。

Why isn't 私は車を運転できる。

Betty
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dotnetN00b
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  • Related: [The difference between が and を with the potential form of a verb.](http://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/609/542) – Flaw Jan 27 '13 at 05:21
  • In casual speech the が is nearly always dropped. – Kenzo Jan 27 '13 at 13:00

2 Answers2

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I wouldn't say always. I think the construction Xができる is more or less a fixed expression for "being able to do sth."

車の運転ができる sounds more like "I can drive" in the sense of "I have a driver's licence and know how to drive". It is unmistakably a statement about me.

車を運転できる might be interpreted more circumstantial, like "The car is drivable and I can drive it (now)". It might be a statement about the condition of the car.

Earthliŋ
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I'm always unsatisfied by the explanation of が being a weird set-phrased form for the direct object with dekiru, suki, etc. I would literally translate 私は車の運転ができる。 as "About me: car's driving is capable of being done." できる can be translated as "to be able to be done" and the が makes a lot of sense.

ithisa
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