Chinese word

能否

Pronunciation

Pinyinnéng fǒu

Meaning

  • adverbwhether ___ can

Example

我想知道你能否来我们家吃饭。wǒ xiǎng zhī dào nǐ néng fǒu lái wǒ men jiā chī fàn

I want to know whether you can come to our house for a meal.

Illustration for 能否 (whether ___ can)

More examples

请尽快告诉我们你能否参加会议。qǐng jǐn kuài gào sù wǒ men nǐ néng fǒu cān jiā huì yì

Please tell us as soon as possible whether you can attend the meeting.

Core concept

A boundary between an action that can move forward and one that cannot, used inside an indirect question.

Common phrases

  • 能否参加会议néng fǒu cān jiā huì yì

    whether one can attend the meeting

  • 能否提供帮助néng fǒu tí gōng bāng zhù

    whether assistance can be provided

  • 能否按计划进行néng fǒu àn jì huà jìn xíng

    whether it can proceed according to plan

Similar words

是否shì fǒu: Asks whether something is the case or not.
能不能néng bù néng: Asks conversationally whether someone is able to do something.

Definition in Chinese

表示对某个动作或情况能否成立的疑问副词，常在句中作间接问法使用（如：我想知道你能否来）。biǎo shì duì mǒu gè dòng zuò huò qíng kuàng néng fǒu chéng lì de yí wèn fù cí cháng zài jù zhōng zuò jiàn jiē wèn fǎ shǐ yòng rú wǒ xiǎng zhī dào nǐ néng fǒu lái

Word origin

能否 (néngfǒu, "whether possible") joins the positive idea of 能 (néng, "be able") with the negative marker 否 (fǒu, "not") to ask about an action's feasibility.

Usage tips

  • This word commonly follows expressions such as "want to know" or "ask" in Chinese, making it a practical pattern for reporting a question instead of asking it directly.

Other meanings

  • whether ___ is possibleadverb

Word lists with this word