可能
Appearance
Chinese
[edit]can; may; able to can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis) |
ability; can; may ability; can; may; capable; energy; able | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (可能) | 可 | 能 | |
simp. #(可能) | 可 | 能 |
Etymology
[edit]Attested in Old Chinese; original meanings were “to be able to, competent”, “can be achieved, possible”.
Pronunciation
[edit]- Mandarin
- (Standard)
- (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ko3 nen2
- Cantonese
- (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ho2 nang4
- (Taishan, Wiktionary): ho2 nang3
- (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ho2 nang4
- Hakka
- Eastern Min (BUC): kō̤-nèng
- Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kor3 neng2
- Southern Min
- Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): 5khu-nen
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˇ ㄋㄥˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: kěnéng
- Wade–Giles: kʻo3-nêng2
- Yale: kě-néng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: keeneng
- Palladius: кэнэн (kɛnɛn)
- Sinological IPA (key): /kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ nɤŋ³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
- Sichuanese Pinyin: ko3 nen2
- Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: kolen
- Sinological IPA (key): /kʰo⁵³ nən²¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: ho2 nang4
- Yale: hó nàhng
- Cantonese Pinyin: ho2 nang4
- Guangdong Romanization: ho2 neng4
- Sinological IPA (key): /hɔː³⁵ nɐŋ²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
- Wiktionary: ho2 nang3
- Sinological IPA (key): /hᵘɔ⁵⁵ ⁿdaŋ²²/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khó-nèn
- Hakka Romanization System: koˋ nenˇ
- Hagfa Pinyim: ko3 nen2
- Sinological IPA: /kʰo³¹ nen¹¹/
- (Meixian)
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: kō̤-nèng
- Sinological IPA (key): /kʰo³³⁻²¹ nˡɛiŋ⁵³/
- (Fuzhou)
- Puxian Min
- (Putian)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: kor3 neng2 [Phonetic: kor2 neng2]
- Sinological IPA (key): /kʰɒ⁴⁵³⁻¹³ nɛŋ¹³/
- (Xianyou)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: kor3 neng2 [Phonetic: kor1 neng2]
- Sinological IPA (key): /kʰɒ³³²⁻⁵⁵ nɛŋ¹³/
- (Putian)
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore)
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khóⁿ-nn̂g
- Tâi-lô: khónn-nn̂g
- Phofsit Daibuun: qvofnngg
- IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /kʰɔ̃⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ nŋ̍²⁴/
- (Teochew)
- Peng'im: ko2 lêng5 / ko2 nêng5
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khó lêng / khó nêng
- Sinological IPA (key): /kʰo⁵²⁻³⁵ leŋ⁵⁵/, /kʰo⁵²⁻³⁵ neŋ⁵⁵/
Note: ko2 lêng5 - Chaozhou.
- Middle Chinese: khaX nong
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ʰˤa[j]ʔ nˤə(ʔ)/
- (Zhengzhang): /*kʰaːlʔ nɯːŋ/
Adjective
[edit]可能
Usage notes
[edit]Chinese does not have different words for possible and probable in the way that English does. To express the sense that something is probable—i.e., likely to happen as opposed to just being a possibility among others—consider adding 很 (hěn) before 可能 or 有可能 (yǒukěnéng).
Synonyms
[edit]- 容易 (róngyì)
Adverb
[edit]可能
Synonyms
[edit]- 也許 / 也许 (yěxǔ)
- 保不住 (bǎobuzhù) (colloquial)
- 保不定 (bǎobudìng) (colloquial)
- 保不齊 / 保不齐 (bǎobuqí) (colloquial)
- 備不住 / 备不住 (bèibuzhù) (regional)
- 凡勢 / 凡势 (hoān-sè) (Taiwanese Hokkien)
- 博定 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
- 容許 / 容许 (róngxǔ) (literary)
- 怕係 / 怕系 (Hakka)
- 怕是 (pàshì)
- 或者 (huòzhě)
- 或許 / 或许 (huòxǔ)
- 指不定 (zhǐbùdìng)
- 搞不好 (gǎobùhǎo)
- 歉采 (Hokkien)
- 殼張 / 壳张 (7khoq-tsan) (Wu, dated)
- 沒準兒 / 没准儿 (méizhǔnr) (colloquial)
- 興許 / 兴许 (xīngxǔ) (colloquial)
- 話勿出 / 话勿出 (6gho-veq-tsheq) (Wu)
- 話唔埋 / 话唔埋 (waa6 m4 maai4) (Cantonese)
- 話唔定 / 话唔定 (waa6 m4 ding6) (Cantonese)
- 說不定 / 说不定 (shuōbùdìng)
- 講勿定 / 讲勿定 (5kaon-veq-din) (Wu)
- 講唔定 / 讲唔定 (gong2 m4 ding6) (Cantonese)
- 難免 / 难免 (nánmiǎn)
Noun
[edit]可能
- possibility; probability; likelihood (Classifier: 個/个)
Synonyms
[edit]Verb
[edit]可能
- (literary) to be competent to; to have the ability to
- 孟莊子之孝也,其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Mèng Zhuāng zǐ zhī xiào yě, qítā kěnéng yě. [Pinyin]
- The filial piety of Meng Zhuang, in other matters, was what other men are competent to.
孟庄子之孝也,其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- (literary) can be achieved; to be possible
Phrase
[edit]可能
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 可 (a question-forming particle), 能 ("can; be able to").
-
- 金世遺低聲說道:「之華,我一直很敬愛你,以後也永不會變。可是我已經答應了一個人,不是當面答應她,而是在她死後,心裡頭答應她了。我這一生,除了她之外,是再也不能有第二個人了。之華,之華!你、你、你、你可能諒解我這份心情?」 [MSC, trad.]
- Jīn Shìyí dīshēng shuō dào: “Zhīhuá, wǒ yīzhí hěn jìng'ài nǐ, yǐhòu yě yǒng bù huì biàn. Kěshì wǒ yǐjīng dāying le yī ge rén, bù shì dāngmiàn dāying tā, ér shì zài tā sǐhòu, xīn lǐtóu dāying tā le. Wǒ zhè yīshēng, chú le tā zhīwài, shì zài yě bù néng yǒu dì èr ge rén le. Zhīhuá, Zhīhuá! Nǐ, nǐ, nǐ, nǐ kě néng liàngjiě wǒ zhè fèn xīnqíng?” [Pinyin]
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
金世遗低声说道:「之华,我一直很敬爱你,以后也永不会变。可是我已经答应了一个人,不是当面答应她,而是在她死后,心里头答应她了。我这一生,除了她之外,是再也不能有第二个人了。之华,之华!你、你、你、你可能谅解我这份心情?」 [MSC, simp.]
Derived terms
[edit]Descendants
[edit]Japanese
[edit]Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
可 | 能 |
か Grade: 5 |
のう Grade: 5 |
on'yomi |
Etymology
[edit]From Middle Chinese compound 可能 (khaX nong, literally “may, can + able, ability”).
Pronunciation
[edit]Adjective
[edit]可能 • (kanō) -na (adnominal 可能な (kanō na), adverbial 可能に (kanō ni))
Inflection
[edit]Inflection of 可能
Stem forms | |||
---|---|---|---|
Imperfective (未然形) | 可能だろ | かのうだろ | kanō daro |
Continuative (連用形) | 可能で | かのうで | kanō de |
Terminal (終止形) | 可能だ | かのうだ | kanō da |
Attributive (連体形) | 可能な | かのうな | kanō na |
Hypothetical (仮定形) | 可能なら | かのうなら | kanō nara |
Imperative (命令形) | 可能であれ | かのうであれ | kanō de are |
Key constructions | |||
Informal negative | 可能ではない 可能じゃない |
かのうではない かのうじゃない |
kanō de wa nai kanō ja nai |
Informal past | 可能だった | かのうだった | kanō datta |
Informal negative past | 可能ではなかった 可能じゃなかった |
かのうではなかった かのうじゃなかった |
kanō de wa nakatta kanō ja nakatta |
Formal | 可能です | かのうです | kanō desu |
Formal negative | 可能ではありません 可能じゃありません |
かのうではありません かのうじゃありません |
kanō de wa arimasen kanō ja arimasen |
Formal past | 可能でした | かのうでした | kanō deshita |
Formal negative past | 可能ではありませんでした 可能じゃありませんでした |
かのうではありませんでした かのうじゃありませんでした |
kanō de wa arimasen deshita kanō ja arimasen deshita |
Conjunctive | 可能で | かのうで | kanō de |
Conditional | 可能なら(ば) | かのうなら(ば) | kanō nara (ba) |
Provisional | 可能だったら | かのうだったら | kanō dattara |
Volitional | 可能だろう | かのうだろう | kanō darō |
Adverbial | 可能に | かのうに | kanō ni |
Degree | 可能さ | かのうさ | kanōsa |
Synonyms
[edit]Antonyms
[edit](antonym(s) of “possible”):
- ありえない (arienai), 不可能 (fukanō): impossible
- 必然的 (hitsuzenteki): inevitable
Derived terms
[edit]- 可能性 (kanōsei): (possibility, feasibility)
Noun
[edit]- possibility, good chance
- 可能の
- kanō no
- possible
- 可能の
- feasibility
Antonyms
[edit]- (antonym(s) of “possibility”): 不可能 (fukanō): impossible; 必然的 (hitsuzenteki): inevitable
- (antonym(s) of “feasibility”): 不可能 (fukanō): (infeasibility)
References
[edit]- Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
Korean
[edit]Hanja in this term | |
---|---|
可 | 能 |
Noun
[edit]- hanja form? of 가능 (“possibility”)
Vietnamese
[edit]chữ Hán Nôm in this term | |
---|---|
可 | 能 |
Noun
[edit]可能
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