Chinese word

可能

Pronunciation

Pinyinkě néng

Meaning

  • adverbmaybe

Example

他可能已经走了。tā kě néng yǐ jīng zǒu le

Maybe he has already left.

Illustration for 可能 (maybe)

More examples

明天可能下雨。míng tiān kě néng xià yǔ

It may rain tomorrow.

Core concept

A possibility kept open in the speaker's judgment: an event may happen or may already be true, but it is not certain.

Common phrases

  • 可能已经kě néng yǐ jīng

    probably already

  • 很可能hěn kě néng

    very likely

Similar words

也许yé xǔ: Gently presents something as a possibility when no firm conclusion is available.
大概dà gài: Describes an estimated situation or quantity without claiming exactness.

Definition in Chinese

用于对事实作不确定的判断，相当于“有可能”“也许”，在句中作情态副词使用，常与'已经'、'会'等词连用表推测程度。yòng yú duì shì shí zuò bú què dìng de pàn duàn xiāng dāng yú yǒu kě néng yé xǔ zài jù zhōng zuò qíng tài fù cí shǐ yòng cháng yǔ yǐ jīng huì děng cí lián yòng biǎo tuī cè chéng dù

Word origin

可 (kě, "possible") + 能 (néng, "be able") forms the idea that something can happen, which also develops into its adverbial use for judging a situation.

Usage tips

  • English usually uses possible with be or a noun, but 可能 (kěnéng, "possible") can come before a verb to show that the whole event is uncertain.

Other meanings

  • possibleadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 可能性kě néng xìngpossibilitynoun

Word lists with this word