What is the difference between 見える【みえる】／聞こえる【きこえる】 and 見られる【みられる】／聞ける【きける】?


In Japanese, there is a potential form to express that it's possible for
something to be done.

My own examples of potential form:

> 辛【から】い食【た】べ物【もの】が食【た】べられる。 (I **can** eat spicy foods.)
>
> ギターが弾【ひ】ける。 (I **can** play the guitar.)

But I also know of `見【み】える` and `聞【き】こえる`. I've heard them used as also
meaning it's possible for something to be done (seeing for `見【み】える` and
hearing for `聞【き】こえる`). But this isn't the potential conjugation of the
original words, `見【み】る` and `聞【き】く`. The potential form would be `見【み】られる` and
`聞【き】ける`.

What is the difference between the normal potential form and their "special"
forms?




> みえる = to be able to see. (precisely: _to be seen/to be in sight_ )  
>  ⇒ Can you see the fujisan? => 富士山が見えますか？
>
> みれる = to be able to watch.  
>  ⇒ Can you watch DVD with this? => それでDVDが見れますか？

The same for 聞ける (Can you listen) vs 聞こえる (Can you hear / precisely: _to be
heard/to be audible_ )

みえる and きこえる and not a special form of みる and きく, they are specific verbs by
themselves.




What I've read regarding the 見える、見られる and 聞こえる、聞ける doesn't appear to have been
mentioned here at all and I think it's probably the clearest explanation.

  * 見える - something comes into view
  * 聞こえる - something can be heard

Both of these describe sights/sounds that can be sensed regardless of the
speaker's volition, e.g. if you look out the window you can see the sky, or
you can hear a baby crying. For these kinds of things you don't really have a
say in the matter.

  * 見られる - you can see something
  * 聞ける - you can hear/listen to something

These describe things that you can do (hence potential verbs) but on a
volitional level e.g. you can see a film at the cinema or you can listen to a
song on the radio.

Hopefully that clears it up a little. If not then let me know and I'll try
explaining another way.

