Expressing ability or possibility with "neng"

能 (néng) is another Chinese word that is often translated as "can." However, it has a slightly different meaning than the others. 能 (néng) is used to express ability or possibility of doing something. This article will further explain its use.

Expressing Ability

能 (néng) indicates ability when used with activities that are not consciously learned or studied.

Structure

The structure to use 能 (néng) to express "ability" is:

Subj. + 能 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

• 我 能 吃 四 十 个 饺子。Wǒ néng chī sìshí gè jiǎozi.I can eat 40 dumplings.
• 他 能 工作 24 个 小时。Tā néng gōngzuò èrshísì gè xiǎoshí.He can work 24 hours.
• 你 能 帮 我 找到 他 吗？ Nǐ néng bāng wǒ zhǎo dào tā ma?Can you help me find him?
• 你 的 手机 能 上网 吗？Nǐ de shǒujī néng shàngwǎng ma?Can your cellphone go on the internet?
• 一 岁 的 宝宝 能 说话 吗？Yī suì de bǎobǎo néng shuōhuà ma?Can a one year old baby talk?

Expressing Possibility

When used with activities that are consciously learned or studied, 能 (néng) generally means that circumstances do not allow execution of the action. In other words, it's not possible.

Structure

The structure to use 能 (néng) to express possibility is exactly the same:

Subj. + 能 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

• 一 千 块 能 买 一 个 手机 吗？Yīqiān kuài néng mǎi yīgè shǒujī ma?Can one thousand kuai buy a cellphone?/Can I buy a cellphone with one thousand kuai?
• 开车 一 个 小时 能 到 家 吗？Kāi chē yī gè xiǎoshí néng dàojiā ma?Is it possible to drive home in one hour?
• 他们 明天 能 早点 来 吗？ Tāmen míngtiān néng zǎodiǎn lái ma?Is it possible for them to come a little earlier tomorrow?
• 你们 能 小 声 一点 吗？Nǐmen néng xiǎo shēng yīdiǎn ma?Is it possible for you to lower your voice down?
• 你 能 告诉 我 她 的 手机号码？ néng gàosù wǒ tā de shǒujī hàomǎ?Is it possible for you to tell me her cellphone number?

Other usages

From these examples we can see such circumstances might be pertaining to getting someone's consent or reliant on the speaker's health. 会 (huì) can be used instead if the speaker wishes to express that they are able to execute an action requiring a consciously studied skill.

Because 能 (néng) can express possibility, it is often used to form polite questions, something like "would it be possible" in English:

Examples

• 我 能 问 你 一 个 问题 吗？Wǒ néng wèn nǐ yīgè wèntí ma?Could I ask you a question?
• 我 能 坐 在 这里 吗？Wǒ néng zuò zài zhèlǐ ma?Could I sit here?
• 这里 不 能 游泳。(it's not allowed, or not possible for other reasons)Zhèlǐ bù néng yóuyǒng.You can't swim here.
• 上课 的 时候 不 能 说 英文。 (my teacher has forbidden me from speaking English.)Shàngkè de shíhou bù néng shuō Yīngwén.In class, you can't speak English.
• 工作 的 时候 不 能 玩 手机。 Kāihuì de shíhou bù néng wán shǒujī.At work, you can't play with cellphone.

See also

• Expressing permission with "keyi"
• Expressing a learned skill with "hui"
• Comparing "hui" "neng" "keyi"

Sources and further reading

Websites

• Sinosplice: Chinese Modal Verb Venn Diagram

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 219-20)　→buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 160-1) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 185-7) →buy