Ability and possibility with 能 (néng)

Overview

This English reference introduces “Ability and possibility with 能 (néng)” and focuses on the information most useful when reading Chinese.

Structure

subject + 能 + verb + object

Examples

Possibility

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Ability

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Asking permission

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Common mistakes

能 is not used for granting permission

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能 is not used in negative sentences when talking about ability

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Related grammar points

• Expressing a learned skill with 会 (huì)
• Permission and possibility with 可以 (kěyǐ)

• Potential complements with 得 (de) and 不 (bu)