Dictionary › 可能

可能

kě néng

Old HSK 2 HSK 3.0 level 2 2-character word Measure word 个

可能 (kě néng) means "might; possible". It is an HSK 3.0 level 2 word, and was HSK 2 in the old six-level list.

What 可能 means

1. might (happen)
2. possible
3. probable
4. possibility
5. probability
6. maybe
7. perhaps

How 可能 is used in grammar

可能 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Modal Verbs: 可能、可以、应该、愿意 (HSK 2)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 2, verbs (能愿动词).

The characters in 可能

• 可kě(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit
• 能néngcan; to be able to; might possibly

Example sentences

• 不可能！
  It can't be!
• 这不可能！
  It can't be!
• 不可能的。
  That can't be it.
• 这不可能。
  That's impossible.
• 有可能吗？
  Is that possible?
• 不太可能。
  It may not be possible.

Words starting with 可能

• 可能性kě néng xìngpossibility; probability

Words containing 可能

• 有可能yǒu kě néngpossible; probable; possibly
• 尽可能jǐn kě néngas far as possible; to the best of one's ability
• 不可能bù kě néngimpossible; cannot
• 极有可能jí yǒu kě néngextremely possible; probable
• 没有什么不可能méi yǒu shén me bù kě néngnothing is impossible; there's nothing impossible about it

Where 可能 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Health and Weather (HSK 2), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 2 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read kě néng correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.