10.13Usage: +
能
Capable (of)
- 能够 (néng gòu) Able to <Literal. Capable enough>
- 不能够 (bù néng gòu) or 不能 (bù néng) Unable to
- 能力 (néng lì) Ability (of a living thing) <Literal. Capable power>
- 功能 (gōng néng) Ability (of equipment) <Literal. Service and capability>
- 无能 (wú néng) Incapable (of a person) / Useless / Helpless <Literal. No capablity>
- 能量 (néng liàng) Energy
- 正能量 (zhèng néng liàng) Positive energy
+ A LITTLE MORE +
能 is often confused with 会 and 可以 mostly because they have overlapping meanings and could be popularly translated to "can" in English. It takes time to get used to them but for a start, try to understand the basics without thinking in terms of "can" or "cannot":
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 会 (huì) | Know (possess ability and knowledge) / Will be |
| 不*会 (bù huì) | Do not know / Will not be |
| 能 (néng) | Able to – Capable of (possess the ability) and allowed to |
| 不*能 (néng) | Not able to – Capable of but not allowed to OR: Allowed to but not capable of |
| 可以 (ké yǐ) | Allowed to |
| 不*可以 (bù ké yǐ) | Not allowed to |
Some basic sentences and what they usually imply:
| Basic sentences | Basic implications |
|---|---|
| 我会喝酒 | I know how to drink (Not only do I possess the ability to drink, I have a good knowledge of drinking) |
| 我不会喝酒 | I do not know how to drink (Usually a humble way of saying I'm not really good at drinking) |
| 我今晚会喝酒 | I will be drinking tonight |
| 我今晚不会喝酒 | I will not be drinking tonight |
| 我能喝酒 | I am able to drink (I am capable of drinking and could even drink a lot, but this does not imply that I have a good knowledge of drinking) |
| 我不能喝酒 | He is not able to drink (He might have a low alcohol tolerance or alcohol allergy) |
| 我今晚能喝酒 | He is able to drink tonight |
| 我今晚不能喝酒 | He is not able to drink tonight (He might be forbidden to drink or that he is on medication) |
| 我可以喝酒 | I am allowed to drink |
| 我不可以喝酒 | I am not allowed to drink |
| 我今晚可以喝酒 | I am allowed to drink tonight |
| 我今晚不可以喝酒 | I am not allowed to drink tonight |