可能
Chinese
can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis) |
ability; can; may; capable; energy; able | ||
---|---|---|---|
simp. and trad. (可能) |
可 | 能 |
Etymology
Attested in Old Chinese; original meanings were “to be able to, competent”, “can be achieved, possible”.
Pronunciation
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).
Adverb
可能
Verb
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, circa 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
- 養,可能也,敬為難。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Book of Rites, circa 4th – 2nd 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.
养,可能也,敬为难。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Japanese
Kanji in this term | |
---|---|
可 | 能 |
か Grade: 5 |
のう Grade: 5 |
on’yomi |
Etymology
From Middle Chinese compound 可能 (khaX nong, literally “may, can + able, ability”).
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), 起こりうる (okoriuru)
Derived terms
- 可能性 (kanōsei): (possibility, feasibility)
Antonyms
- (possibility): 不可能 (fukanō): impossible; 必然的 (hitsuzenteki): inevitable
- (feasibility): 不可能 (fukanō): (infeasibility)
References
- 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
- 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
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