View source for cannot

{{also|can not}}
==English==

===Alternative forms===
* {{alter|en|cannet|cannit||Tyneside}}
* {{alter|en|can not}}

===Etymology===
From {{compound|en|can|not}}.

===Pronunciation===
* {{IPA|en|/ˈkænɒt/|/kænˈɒt/|a=UK}}
* {{audio|en|LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-cannot.wav|a=UK}}
* {{IPA|en|/ˈkæ(n.)nɑt/|/ˈkɛ(n.)nɑt/|/kə(n)ˈnɑt/|a=US}}
* {{audio|en|en-us-cannot.ogg|a=US}}
* {{IPA|en|/kəˈnɑt/|a=Canada}}
* {{hyphenation|en|can|not}}
* {{rhymes|en|ɒt|s=2}}

===Verb===
{{head|en|verb}}

# [[can#Verb|Can]] [[not]] (be [[unable]] to).
#: {{ux|en|I '''cannot''' open the window. It is stuck.}}
# Be [[forbid]]den or not [[permit]]ted to
#* '''1668''' December 19, [[w:James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair|James Dalrymple]], “''Mr.'' Alexander Seaton ''contra'' Menzies” in ''The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion'' I (Edinburgh, 1683), <span class="plainlinks">[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7ApBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA575&dq=%22correi%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2GcCT_z-LsWq8QOGtv2yAQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22correi%22&f=false page 575]</span>
#*: The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Diſcharge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extinguiſh the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and conſequently of all the reſt, they being all ''correi debendi'', lyable by one individual Obligation, which '''cannot''' be Diſcharged as to one, and ſtand as to all the reſt.
#* {{quote-journal|en|date=2013-06-21|author=[http://guardian.co.uk/profile/karenmcveigh/ Karen McVeigh]
|volume=189|issue=2|page=10|magazine=w:The Guardian Weekly
|title=[http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2013/jun/13/supreme-court-genes-patent-dna US rules human genes can't be patented]
|passage=The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes '''cannot''' be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.}}
#: {{ux|en|You '''cannot''' enter the hall without a ticket.}}

====Usage notes====
Both the one-word form '''cannot''' and the two-word form '''can not''' are acceptable, but '''cannot''' is more common (in the [[w:Oxford English Corpus|Oxford English Corpus]], three times as common). The two-word form is generally required in constructions where '''not''' is part of a set phrase, such as 'not only... but (also)': ''Paul can not only sing well, but also paint brilliantly''.

An important contrast is that '''cannot''' is definitive, whereas '''can not''' is open to other options:  ''Jane '''cannot''' go to the party.'' indicates an insurmountable obstacle preventing Jane's attendance at the party, whilst ''Jane '''can not''' go to the party.'' indicates that Jane is free to choose to attend or be absent.

In spoken English emphasis may be placed on the first syllable of ''cannot'' (e.g. /ˈkænɒt/) in the first phrase and on ''not'' in the second phrase (e.g. /kən ˈnɒt/) when it is intended to clearly articulate which form is meant.

====Synonyms====
* {{l|en|can't}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top-also|cannot|can|not}}
* American Sign Language: {{t|ase|1@NearSternumhigh-PalmForward-1@Chesthigh-TipAcross FastContact 1@FromBackFinger-PalmDown-1@Chesthigh-TipAcross}}
* Arabic: {{t+|ar|عَجَزَ}}, {{t|ar|[[لَا]] [[استطاع|يَسْتَطِيع]]}}
* Bulgarian: {{t|bg|[[не]] [[може]]}}
* Catalan: {{t|ca|[[no]] [[poder]]}}
* Chinese:
*: Mandarin: {{t+|cmn|不會|tr=bù huì}}, {{t+|cmn|不要|tr=bù yào}}, {{t+|cmn|不能|tr=bù néng}}, {{t+|cmn|不行|tr=bù xíng}}, {{qualifier|negative verb complements used}} e.g.: {{t+|cmn|不了|alt=...不了|tr=...bùliǎo}}
* Czech: {{t|cs|nemoct}}
* Danish: {{t|da|[[kan]] [[ikke]]}}
* Dutch: {{t|nl|[[niet]] [[kunnen]]}}
* Esperanto: {{t|eo|ne povi}}
* Finnish: {{t|fi|[[ei]] [[voida|voi]]}} {{q|ability, circumstances, etc.}}; {{t|fi|[[ei]] [[osata|osaa]]}} {{q|capability, skill, etc.}}
* French: {{t|fr|[[ne]] [[pas]] [[pouvoir]]}}
* German: {{t|de|[[nicht]] [[können]]}}
* Italian: {{t|it|[[non]] [[potere]]}}
* Jamaican Creole: {{t|jam|cyaan}}
* Japanese: {{t+|ja|できない|alt=...できない|tr=...dekinai}} {{qualifier|unable}}; {{t+|ja|駄目|alt=...駄目である|tr=...[[だめ]]である, ...dame de aru}}, {{t|ja|ならない|alt=...してはならない|tr=...shite wa naranai}}, {{t|ja|いけない|alt=...してはいけない|tr=...shite wa ikenai}} {{qualifier|not allowed}}; {{qualifier|potential negative forms used}} e.g.: {{l|ja|読む|読めない|tr=yomenai}},　 {{l|ja|食べる|食べられない|tr=taberarenai}} / {{l|ja|食べる|食べれない|tr=taberenai}}
* Khmer: {{t|km|មិនអាច|tr=mɨn aac}}
* Korean: {{t+|ko|못}}, {{t|ko|...수 없다}}, {{t+|ko|못하다}}
* Latin: {{t|la|[[non]] [[posse]]}}, {{t+|la|nescio}}, {{t|la|nequeo}}, {{qualifier|plus a pronoun in indirect object}} {{t+|la|prohibetur}}, {{qualifier|plus a pronoun in indirect object)}} {{t|la|interdicitur}}, {{qualifier|plus a pronoun in indirect object)}} {{t|la|vetatur}}, {{qualifier|plus a pronoun in indirect object}} {{t|la|[[non]] [[licet]]}}
* Latvian: {{t|lv|nevar}}, {{t|lv|nespēj}}
* Norwegian:
*: Bokmål: {{t|nb|[[kan]] [[ikke]]}}
* Old Turkic: {{t|otk|𐰆𐰢𐰀|ts=uma-}}
* Pitcairn-Norfolk: {{t|pih|kaa}}
* Polish: {{t|pl|[[nie]] [[móc]]}}
* Portuguese: {{t|pt|[[não]] [[pode]]}}
* Russian: {{t|ru|[[не]] [[мо́чь]]}} (e.g. [[я]] [[не]] [[мочь|могу]] - I can't), {{t+|ru|нельзя́}} {{qualifier|not allowed}}
* Slovak: {{t|sk|nemôcť}}, {{t|sk|nebyť schopný}}, {{t|sk|nedokázať}}
* Spanish: {{t|es|[[no]] [[poder]]}}
* Thai: {{t|th|...[[ไม่]][[ได้]]|tr=...mâi dâai}}, {{t|th|...[[ไม่]][[เป็น]]|tr=...mâi bpen}}
* Turkish: {{t|tr|-ama}}, {{t|tr|-eme}}
* Vietnamese: {{t|vi|có thể không}}
* Welsh: {{t+|cy|methu}}, {{t|cy|ffili}}, {{t|cy|[[dim]] [[gallu]]}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Noun===
{{en-noun}}

# Something that cannot be done.
#: {{co|en|the cans and '''cannots'''}}
# A person who cannot do (something).

===Anagrams===
* {{anagrams|en|a=acnnot|Canton|Conant|Nacton|canton|nonact|noncat}}

{{cln|en|auxiliary verb forms}}

==Norman==

===Etymology===
Related to {{cog|fr|cane|t=(female) duck}} and {{m|fr|canard|t=duck; drake}}; see there for more. Cognate with {{cog|fr|canot|t=little boat}}.

===Noun===
{{nrf-noun|m}}

# {{lb|nrf|Jersey}} [[duckling]]

====Derived terms====
* {{l|nrf|cannoter||to walk like a duck}}

{{topics|nrf|Ducks|Baby animals}}