Chinese

Adjective

可能

1. possible; probable; likely

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 (kěnéng) or 有可能 (yǒukěnéng).

Adverb

可能

1. maybe; perhaps; probably; might, may

   可能我會去。 / 可能我会去。  ―  Kěnéng wǒ huì qù.  ―  Perhaps I will go.

   他可能被開除了。 / 他可能被开除了。  ―  Tā kěnéng bèi kāichú le.  ―  He may have been fired.

Synonyms

• 或許／或许 (huòxǔ)
• 也許／也许 (yěxǔ)

Noun

可能

1. possibility; probability   (Classifier: 個／个)

   什麼事都有發生的可能。 [MSC, trad.]

   什么事都有发生的可能。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shénme shì dōu yǒu fāshēng de kěnéng. [Pinyin]

   Anything has a possibility of happening.

Verb

可能

1. (literary) to be competent to; to have the ability to

   孟莊子之孝也，其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

   孟庄子之孝也，其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

   From: The Analects of Confucius, circa 475 – 221 BCE

   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.

2. (literary) can be achieved; to be possible

   養，可能也，敬為難。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

   养，可能也，敬为难。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

   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.

Derived terms

Descendants

Japanese

Etymology

From Middle Chinese compound 可能 ‎(kha^X nong, literally “may, can + able, ability”).

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) かのう [kànóó] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [kã̠no̞ː]

Adjective

可能 ‎(-na inflection, hiragana かのう, romaji kanō)

1. possible
2. feasible

Inflection

Derived terms

• 可 (か)能 (のう)性 (せい) ‎(kanōsei): (possibility, feasibility)

Synonyms

• できる ‎(dekiru)
• (possible): ありうる ‎(ariuru), 起 (お)こりうる ‎(okoriuru)

Antonyms

(possible):

• ありえない ‎(arienai), 不 (ふ)可 (か)能 (のう) ‎(fukanō): impossible
• 必 (ひつ)然 (ぜん)的 (てき) ‎(hitsuzenteki): inevitable

Noun

可能 ‎(hiragana かのう, romaji kanō)

1. possibility, good chance

   可能 (かのう)の

   kanō no

   possible

2. feasibility

Antonyms

• (possibility): 不 (ふ)可 (か)能 (のう) ‎(fukanō): impossible; 必 (ひつ)然 (ぜん)的 (てき) ‎(hitsuzenteki): inevitable
• (feasibility): 不 (ふ)可 (か)能 (のう) ‎(fukanō): (infeasibility)

References

1. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9

• 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 4095102535.

Korean

Noun

可能 • ‎(ganeung) ‎(hangeul 가능)

1. Hanja form^? of 가능, “possible”.

Vietnamese

Noun

可能

1. Hán tự form of khả năng, “ability; capability; competence”