Contrastive Analysis of Potential Sentences in Japanese and Indonesian

This study aims to describe the similarities and differences between potential sentences (kanou hyougen) in Japanese (JL) and Indonesian (IL), focusing on their original forms, construction, meaning, and main characteristics. The analysis reveals that potential sentences in both languages share several key similarities. First, they can be derived from either transitive or intransitive base sentences, as long as the predicates express volitional actions or processes. Second, they display comparable syntactic functions, word categories, and semantic roles. Third, both languages convey similar meanings through potential constructions, namely: (a) natural ability, (b) ability acquired through learning or training, (c) ability based on situational conditions, (d) ability resulting from natural phenomena, and (e) functionality or operability of an object or system. A significant similarity can also be seen in the construction patterns of potential expressions: Japanese uses "N-ga DEKIRU," while Indonesian uses "BISA—N." These constructions share structural features: (a) the subject is typically an animate noun, (b) the noun (N) commonly refers to languages, sports, musical instruments, or songs, and (c) when Japanese uses a verbal noun (NV) after "dekiru," the equivalent in Indonesian becomes "Bisa-V." However, one area that still requires further research is the use of intransitive verbs in potential constructions, especially in Japanese, where the rules for forming potential expressions from intransitive verbs are more complex and less straightforward compared to transitive ones. This gap presents an opportunity for deeper comparative linguistic analysis in future studies.