可能

Chinese

		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

Attested in Old Chinese; original meanings were “to be able to, competent”, “can be achieved, possible”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): kěnéng

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˇ ㄋㄥˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ko³ nen²

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ho² nang⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ho² nang³

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khó-nèn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ko³ nên²

• Eastern Min (BUC): kō̤-nèng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khó-lêng / khóⁿ-nn̂g

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ko² lêng⁵ / ko² nêng⁵

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁵khu-nen

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kěnéng
    • 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/
• 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/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khó-nèn
    • Hakka Romanization System: ko` nenˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ko³ nen²
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰo³¹ nen¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ko³ nên²
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰo³¹ nɛn¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kō̤-nèng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰo³³⁻²¹ nˡɛiŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khó-lêng
    • Tâi-lô: khó-lîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qoyleeng
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɪŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei, Xiamen): /kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Singapore): /kʰo⁴²⁻²⁴ leŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ liɪŋ²³/
  • (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.

• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁵khu-nen
    • MiniDict: khu^去 nen
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²khu-nen
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰu³³ nən⁴⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: khaX nong

Rime
Character	可	能
Reading #	1/1	2/4
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)	泥 (8)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)	登 (129)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	枯我切	奴登切
Baxter	khaX	nong
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰɑX/	/nəŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰɑX/	/nəŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰɑX/	/nəŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰaX/	/nəŋ/
Li Rong	/kʰɑX/	/nəŋ/
Wang Li	/kʰɑX/	/nəŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/kʰɑX/	/nəŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	kě	néng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ho2	nang4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ʰˤa[j]ʔ  nˤə(ʔ)/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰaːlʔ  nɯːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	可	能
Reading #	1/1	3/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	kě	néng
Middle Chinese	‹ khaX ›	‹ nong ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ʰˁa[j]ʔ/	/*nˁə(ʔ)/ (~ *nˁəŋ)
English	may; acceptable	able; ability
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	可	能
Reading #	1/1	3/4
No.	7446	9415
Phonetic component	可	能
Rime group	歌	蒸
Rime subdivision	1	0
Corresponding MC rime	可	能
Old Chinese	/*kʰaːlʔ/	/*nɯːŋ/

Adjective

可能

1. possible; probable; likely

Usage notes

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

• 容易 (róngyì)

Adverb

可能

1. maybe; perhaps; probably; might; may

   可能我會去。／可能我会去。  ―  Kěnéng wǒ huì qù.  ―  Perhaps I will go.

   他可能被開除了。 [MSC, trad.]
   他可能被开除了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā kěnéng bèi kāichú le. [Pinyin]

   He may have been fired.

Synonyms

• 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

可能

1. possibility; probability; likelihood (Classifier: 個／个)

   無限可能／无限可能  ―  wúxiàn kěnéng  ―  infinite possibilities

   什麼事都有發生的可能。 [MSC, trad.]
   什么事都有发生的可能。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shénme shì dōu yǒu fāshēng de kěnéng. [Pinyin]

   Anything has a possibility of happening.

Synonyms

• 可能性 (kěnéngxìng)
• 幾率／几率 (jīlǜ) (chiefly mainland China)
• 或然率 (huòránlǜ)
• 概率 (gàilǜ)
• 機會率／机会率 (jīhuìlǜ)
• 機率／机率 (jīlǜ) (chiefly Taiwan, Hong Kong)

 

Verb

可能

1. (literary) to be competent to; to have the ability to

   • 孟莊子之孝也，其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     孟庄子之孝也，其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     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.

2. (literary) can be achieved; to be possible

   • 養，可能也，敬為難。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     养，可能也，敬为难。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Yǎng, kěnéng yě, jìng wéi nán. [Pinyin]

     One may be able to support them; the difficulty is in doing so with the proper reverence.

Derived terms

• 不可能 (bùkěnéng)
• 可能性 (kěnéngxìng)
• 有可能 (yǒukěnéng)
• 盡可能／尽可能

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (可能):

• → Japanese: 可(か)能(のう) (kanō)
• → Korean: 가능(可能) (ganeung)
• → Vietnamese: khả năng (可能)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
可	能
か Grade: 5	のう Grade: 5
on’yomi

Etymology

From Middle Chinese compound 可能 (kha^X nong, literally “may, can + able, ability”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かのー [kànóó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠no̞ː]

Adjective

可(か)能(のう) • (kanō) -na (adnominal 可(か)能(のう)な (kanō na), adverbial 可(か)能(のう)に (kanō ni))

1. possible
2. feasible

Inflection

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

• できる (dekiru)
• (possible): ありうる (ariuru), 起(お)こりうる (okoriuru)

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of "possible"):

• ありえない (arienai), 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): impossible
• 必(ひつ)然(ぜん)的(てき) (hitsuzenteki): inevitable

Derived terms

• 可(か)能(のう)性(せい) (kanōsei): (possibility, feasibility)

Noun

可(か)能(のう) • (kanō) 

1. possibility, good chance

   可能(かのう)の

   kanō no

   possible

2. feasibility

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "possibility"): 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): impossible; 必(ひつ)然(ぜん)的(てき) (hitsuzenteki): inevitable
• (antonym(s) of "feasibility"): 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): (infeasibility)

References

• 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

Hanja in this term
可	能

Noun

可能 • (ganeung) (hangeul 가능)

1. Hanja form^? of 가능 (“possibility”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
可	能

Noun

可能

1. chữ Hán form of khả năng (“ability; capability; competence”).