# 可能
## Chinese
### Etymology

Attested in Old Chinese; original meanings were “to be able to, competent”, “can be achieved, possible”.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): kěnéng
       (Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˇ ㄋㄥˊ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ko$^3$ nen$^2$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ho$^2$ nang$^4$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): ho$^2$ nang$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): khó-nèn
    (Meixian, Guangdong): ko$^3$ nên$^2$
* Eastern Min (BUC): kō̤-nèng
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kor$^3$ neng$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): khó-lêng / khóⁿ-nn̂g
    (Teochew, Peng'im): ko$^2$ lêng$^5$ / ko$^2$ nêng$^5$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^5$khu-nen
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: kěnéng
*** Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˇ ㄋㄥˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: kěnéng
*** Wade–Giles: kʻo$^3$-nêng$^2$
*** Yale: kě-néng
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: keeneng
*** Palladius: кэнэн (kɛnɛn)
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ nɤŋ³⁵/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: ko$^3$ nen$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: kolen
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰo⁵³ nən²¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: ho$^2$ nang$^4$
*** Yale: hó nàhng
*** Cantonese Pinyin: ho$^2$ nang$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: ho$^2$ neng$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /hɔː³⁵ nɐŋ²¹/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: ho$^2$ nang$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /hᵘɔ⁵⁵ ⁿdaŋ²²/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khó-nèn
*** Hakka Romanization System: ko$^ˋ$ nen$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: ko$^3$ nen$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /kʰo³¹ nen¹¹/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: ko$^3$ nên$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /kʰo³¹ nɛn¹¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: kō̤-nèng
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰo³³⁻²¹ nˡɛiŋ⁵³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: kor$^3$ neng$^2$ [Phonetic: kor$^2$ neng$^2$]
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰɒ⁴⁵³⁻¹³ nɛŋ¹³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: kor$^3$ neng$^2$ [Phonetic: kor$^1$ neng$^2$]
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰɒ³³²⁻⁵⁵ nɛŋ¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khó-lêng
*** Tâi-lô: khó-lîng
*** Phofsit Daibuun: qoyleeng
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɪŋ¹³/
*** IPA (Taipei, Xiamen): /kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɪŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Singapore): /kʰo⁴²⁻²⁴ leŋ²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ liɪŋ²³/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khóⁿ-nn̂g
*** Tâi-lô: khónn-nn̂g
*** Phofsit Daibuun: qvofnngg
*** IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /kʰɔ̃⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ nŋ̍²⁴/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: ko$^2$ lêng$^5$ / ko$^2$ nêng$^5$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khó lêng / khó nêng
*** Sinological IPA : /kʰo⁵²⁻³⁵ leŋ⁵⁵/, /kʰo⁵²⁻³⁵ neŋ⁵⁵/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^5$khu-nen
*** MiniDict: khu$^去$ nen
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^2$khu-nen
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰu³³ nən⁴⁴/
* Middle Chinese: khaX nong
Rime :
| Character | 可 | 能 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 2/4 |
| Initial (聲) | 溪 (29) | 泥 (8) |
| Final (韻) | 歌 (94) | 登 (129) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | I | I |
| Fanqie | 枯我切 | 奴登切 |
| Baxter | khaX | nong |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /kʰɑ$^X$/ | /nəŋ/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /kʰɑ$^X$/ | /nəŋ/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /kʰɑ$^X$/ | /nəŋ/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /kʰa$^X$/ | /nəŋ/ |
| Li Rong | /kʰɑ$^X$/ | /nəŋ/ |
| Wang Li | /kʰɑ$^X$/ | /nəŋ/ |
| Bernard Karlgren | /kʰɑ$^X$/ | /nəŋ/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | kě | néng |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | ho$^2$ | nang$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ʰˤa[j]ʔ nˤə(ʔ)/
    (Zhengzhang): /*kʰaːlʔ nɯːŋ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 可 | 能 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 3/3 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | kě | néng |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ kha$^X$ › | ‹ nong › |
| Old Chinese | /*[k]ʰˁa[j]ʔ/ | /*nˁə(ʔ)/ (~ *nˁəŋ) |
| English | may; acceptable | able; ability |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. |||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 可 | 能 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 3/4 |
| No. | 7446 | 9415 |
| Phonetic component | 可 | 能 |
| Rime group | 歌 | 蒸 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 可 | 能 |
| Old Chinese | /*kʰaːlʔ/ | /*nɯːŋ/ |

### Adjective

可能
* 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 or 有可能 (yǒukěnéng).

#### Synonyms

* 容易 (róngyì)

### Adverb

可能
* maybe; perhaps; probably; might; may
    可能我會去。／可能我会去。 ― Kěnéng wǒ huì qù. ― Perhaps I will go.
       Tā kěnéng bèi kāichú le. [Pinyin]
       He may have been fired.

#### Synonyms

* 也許／也许 (yěxǔ)
* 保不住 (bǎobuzhù) (colloquial)
* 保不定 (bǎobudìng) (colloquial)
* 保不齊／保不齐 (bǎobuqí) (colloquial)
* 備不住／备不住 (bèibuzhù) (regional)
* 凡勢／凡势 (hoān-sè) (Taiwanese Hokkien)
* 博定 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
* 容許／容许 (róngxǔ) (literary)
* 怕係／怕系 (Hakka)
* 怕是 (pàshì)
* 或者 (huòzhě)
* 或許／或许 (huòxǔ)
* 指不定 (zhǐbùdìng)
* 搞不好 (gǎobùhǎo)
* 歉采 (Hokkien)
* 殼張／壳张 ($^7$khoq-tsan) (Wu, dated)
* 沒準兒／没准儿 (méizhǔnr) (colloquial)
* 興許／兴许 (xīngxǔ) (colloquial)
* 話勿出／话勿出 ($^6$gho-veq-tsheq) (Wu)
* 話唔埋／话唔埋 (waa$^6$ m$^4$ maai$^4$) (Cantonese)
* 話唔定／话唔定 (waa$^6$ m$^4$ ding$^6$) (Cantonese)
* 說不定／说不定 (shuōbùdìng)
* 講勿定／讲勿定 ($^5$kaon-veq-din) (Wu)
* 講唔定／讲唔定 (gong$^2$ m$^4$ ding$^6$) (Cantonese)
* 難免／难免 (nánmiǎn)

### Noun

可能
* possibility; probability; likelihood (Classifier: 個／个)
    無限可能／无限可能 ― wúxiàn kěnéng ― infinite possibilities
       Shénme shì dōu yǒu fāshēng de kěnéng. [Pinyin]
       Anything has a possibility of happening.

#### Synonyms

* 可能性 (kěnéngxìng)
* 幾率／几率 (jīlǜ) (chiefly mainland China)
* 或然率 (huòránlǜ)
* 概率 (gàilǜ)
* 機會率／机会率 (jīhuìlǜ)
* 機率／机率 (jīlǜ) (chiefly Taiwan, Hong Kong)

### Verb

可能
* (literary) to be competent to; to have the ability to
    From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 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.
* (literary) can be achieved; to be possible
    From: The Book of Rites, c. 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.

### Phrase

可能
* Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 可 (a question-forming particle), 能 ("can; be able to").
       Rǔ yì jīng xián zhě, láiguī guò wǒ lú. Kě néng cānghǎi wài, dài jì gù rén shū? [Pinyin]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 1963, 梁羽生, chapter 52, in 雲海玉弓緣:
       Jīn Shìyí dīshēng shuō dào: “Zhīhuá, wǒ yīzhí hěn jìng'ài nǐ, yǐhòu yě yǒng bù huì biàn. Kěshì wǒ yǐjīng dāying le yī ge rén, bù shì dāngmiàn dāying tā, ér shì zài tā sǐhòu, xīn lǐtóu dāying tā le. Wǒ zhè yīshēng, chú le tā zhīwài, shì zài yě bù néng yǒu dì èr ge rén le. Zhīhuá, Zhīhuá! Nǐ, nǐ, nǐ, nǐ kě néng liàngjiě wǒ zhè fèn xīnqíng?” [Pinyin]
       (please add an English translation of this quotation)

### Derived terms

* 不可能 (bùkěnéng)
* 可能性 (kěnéngxìng)
* 有可能 (yǒukěnéng)
* 盡可能／尽可能

### Descendants

* → Japanese: 可(か)能(のう) (kanō)
* → Korean: 가능(可能) (ganeung)
* → Vietnamese: khả năng (可能)

## Japanese

Kanji in this term :
| 可 | 能 |
| か Grade: 5 | のう Grade: 5 |
| on'yomi ||

### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) かのー [kànóó] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [ka̠no̞ː]

### Adjective

可(か)能(のう) • (kanō) -na (adnominal 可(か)能(のう)な (kanō na), adverbial 可(か)能(のう)に (kanō ni))
* possible
* feasible

#### Inflection

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(お)こりうる (okoriuru)

#### Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “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

#### Derived terms

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

### Noun

可(か)能(のう) • (kanō)
* possibility, good chance
    可能(かのう)の
       kanō no
       possible
* feasibility

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “possibility”): 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): impossible; 必(ひつ)然(ぜん)的(てき) (hitsuzenteki): inevitable
* (antonym(s) of “feasibility”): 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): (infeasibility)

### References

* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
   * Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
   * 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.

## Korean

Hanja in this term :
| 可 | 能 |

### Noun

可能 • (ganeung) (hangeul 가능)
* hanja form of 가능 (“possibility”)

## Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term :
| 可 | 能 |

### Noun

可能
* chữ Hán form of khả năng (“ability; capability; competence”).