でできる

Made Of/From

Level 2Sounds Like dedekiru

Use でできる when the material is still visible or recognizable (like wood in a table). Use からできる when the material has changed chemically or is no longer obvious (like grapes in wine).

How It Works

The pattern でできる (or からできる) is the standard way to say 'is made of' or 'is made from' in Japanese.

1. で vs. から
The choice of particle depends on how much the material has changed:

  • で: Used for physical changes where the material is still recognizable. Example: The chair is made of wood (木でできている).
  • から: Used for chemical or transformative changes where the material is no longer obvious. Example: Wine is made from grapes (ぶどうからできる).

Note: In modern casual speech, で is increasingly used for both physical and chemical changes. Additionally, で is typically used for compound materials or recipes (like a cake made of flour, eggs, and sugar) even if the ingredients are transformed.

2. Dictionary Form vs. ている Form vs. た Form

  • 〜でできる / 〜からできる: Used for broad categories, general facts, or scientific descriptions.
  • 〜でできている / 〜からできている: Used to describe the state of a specific, existing object (e.g., 'This specific table is made of wood'). However, it is also frequently used for general facts (e.g., 紙は木からできている - Paper is made from wood).
  • 〜でできた / 〜からできた: The past tense form is extremely common and often preferred for conciseness when modifying a noun directly (e.g., 木でできた家 - a house made of wood). Note that both 〜できた and 〜できている can be used to modify nouns directly (e.g., 木でできている家).

3. Abstract Composition
This pattern is also used for abstract compositions, such as groups or organizations made up of people or parts. For example, 'a team made of five members' (5人のメンバーからできているチーム). In formal or written Japanese, the alternative 〜からなる is often used for these abstract groups or compositions (e.g., 5人のメンバーからなるチーム).

4. Grammar Structure
This pattern attaches directly to nouns: [Material] + で/から + できる/できている/できた. Note that できる here is an intransitive verb, so the item being described is usually marked with the topic marker は or the subject marker が.

5. Asking "What is it made of?"
To ask what something is made of, you can use 何 (what) with either particle: 何でできている？（なんでできている？ or なにでできている？） or 何からできている？（なにからできている？）. Both are acceptable, but 何で is slightly more common in everyday speech. Note that because なんで also means "why?", speakers frequently read 何で as なにで to avoid ambiguity.

Note: Learners will frequently see 〜で作られている（〜でつくられている） and 〜から作られている（〜からつくられている） as alternatives for describing what an object is made of. While 〜でできている focuses purely on the state and composition of the item, 〜で作られている carries the nuance of the manufacturing process or implies that someone created it.

Caution: Do not confuse this pattern with the potential form of する (to do). When で marks a tool or time limit, でできる means 'can do using [tool]' or 'can do in [time]' (e.g., 1時間でできる - can be done in one hour).

Examples (5)

  1. このコップはプラスチックでできています。

    This cup is made of plastic.

    Word by Word: This cup (topic) plastic with is made.

    Since the cup is clearly plastic to the eye, the particle で is used. The polite stative form できています is used for a specific object.

  2. チーズは牛乳からできます。

    Cheese is made from milk.

    Word by Word: Cheese (topic) milk from is made.

    Milk undergoes a significant transformation to become cheese, so から is used. The dictionary form できます (polite) is used because this is a general fact.

  3. 日本の家は木でできているものが多いです。

    There are many Japanese houses made of wood.

    Word by Word: Japan's houses (topic) wood with made things (subject) many are.

    Here, で is used because the wood is a visible material. The pattern is used to modify the noun 'things' (もの).

  4. ワインはぶどうから作られますが、これは何からできていますか。

    Wine is made from grapes, but what is this made from?

    Word by Word: Wine (topic) grapes from is made but, this (topic) what from is made?

    This compares the action of making (作られる) with the resulting state (できている).

  5. この委員会は十人のメンバーからできています。

    This committee is made up of ten members.

    Word by Word: This committee (topic) ten people's members from is made.

    This demonstrates the abstract composition usage, where a group or organization is formed from individuals or parts. In these cases, から is typically used.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the object marker を instead of the subject marker が or は.

    この机を木でできています。
    この机は木でできています。

    できる is an intransitive verb in this context. You are describing the state of the subject, so you must use は or が, not を.

  • Using the dictionary form for specific physical objects.

    この椅子はプラスチックでできる。
    この椅子はプラスチックでできている。

    When referring to a specific item that already exists in front of you, you should use the resultative state 〜ている form.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

でできるLevel 2Made Of/From

Learn This First

To understand 'でできる' (made of/from), you need to understand how the particle 'で' marks materials or means, and how 'から' marks origins. Additionally, since this pattern frequently appears in the state-of-being form 'できている', familiarity with the 'ている' resultative form is essential.

Words in This Pattern

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