# 能 / 可能 / 能够



## qínshūbǎo

大家好!
I have some difficulties to differentiate the use of some Chinese verbs 能, 可能, 能够 and I don't know the exact meanings when these verbs are applied in negative form 不能, 不可能, 不能够. Please give me some ideas for more exact implementation. Thanks.


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## Skatinginbc

能 able
可 possible
够 enough

可能 possible to be able
能够 able to be enough = 能得 able to get = 能以 able to achieve

不能 not able
不可能 not possible to be able
不能够 not able to be enough, not able to get, not able to achieve

我不能和你在一起 I am not able to be with you. ==>  _I cannot be with you_.
我不可能和你在一起 It is impossible for me to be with you. ==> _There is no way I can be with you_.
我不能够和你在一起 I am not capable enough to be with you (e.g., I was dumped by you; I was rejected by your family).  My situation is not good enough to be with you (e.g., My kids can't accept a step-mom).  The situation does not allow me to be with you. ==> _I am not allowed _(_or qualified_)_ to be with you_.


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## philchinamusical

I agree with @Skatinginbc for his explanation about "能", "可能", basically.

However, in my opinion, "(不)能够" is more depending on the context. Sometimes it means "不能", while in other cases it means "不可能". The former case is more likely somehow. So:

"我不能够和你在一起" is similar to "我不能和你在一起" in common sense.
"这首歌好听到不能够啊！" is similar to "这首歌好听到不可能啊！", not as commonly as the previous one but still not rarely to see.


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## SimonTsai

philchinamusical said:


> 这首歌好听到不能够啊！
> 这首歌好听到不可能啊！


Neither of the above is passable for me. Perhaps it is because I tend to be somewhat formal.

這首歌很好聽，有如天籟。
這音樂不像來自人間，像天上之音。
聽這歌時，我彷彿置身天堂，看見天使與聖光。
她的歌聲有魔力，會讓人沉醉，無法自拔。


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## philchinamusical

I don't speak that way either... But some people do.


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## Skatinginbc

I think 我不能和你在一起 ⊃ 我不能够和你在一起 (like 哺乳動物 ⊃ 牛).
我不能够和你在一起 certainly entails 我不能和你在一起 (like 牛 is certainly a 哺乳動物), but 我不能和你在一起 (包括 "打死我也不能和你在一起, 從未想要和你在一起" 的可能性) does not necessarily mean 我不能够和你在一起 (我想但無法, like a 哺乳動物 is not necessarily a 牛).

_I can't_ ⊃ _I want to but I can't _
"_I want to but I can't_" certainly entails "_I can't_", but "_I can't_" does not necessarily mean "_I want to but I can't_".

To me, 不能够 ("not able to get, not able to achieve") often implies a failed attempt.
我不能忘記你 I can't forget you.
我不能够忘記你 I tried to forget you but I couldn't.
tried but failed ==> not enough 不够

不能够考上大學 either "tried but failed to pass the college entrance exam" or "not good enough to pass the college entrance exam"

嚴加防衛, 千萬不能讓歹徒混進來 
嚴加防衛, 千萬不能够讓歹徒混進來


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## SimonTsai

Skatinginbc said:


> 千萬不能够讓歹徒混進來


While the other is apparently better and recommended, I would not say that this is seriously wrong.


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## qínshūbǎo

Thanks all you!
I found that another verb (会) may also use in expressing possibility. For example:
他不会不来 
So what is strength of verb (会) compared to 能, 可能, 能够 in Chinese language?


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## SimonTsai

[1] 不會是他：他不是那種人。
[2] 那不可能是他：他不是那種人。

[2] sounds a little stronger than [1], methinks.


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## luketime

Used in positive sense, 能够 carries a little more stress on "capability", implying it could be very difficult to achieve. Such as:
如果你能够达到标准, 如果你能够严格要求自己, 如果你能够实现梦想 etc.
We can also say 能 in those sentences, also grammatically correct, but without any implication if it's difficult to achieve.

When expressing negative, I almost never say 不能够, I just say 不能. I would only use 不能够 when I try to stress "not capable enough", such as:
如果你不能够达到标准，就会被淘汰。

Actually I would usually say 如果你不能达到标准，就会被淘汰。Because they're basically the same thing.
Not really necessary to distinguish when used in negative sentences. Language tends to simply itself, as people always tend to use the shorter version. But in positive sentences, there is a slight difference in implication.

-----

会 means something is going to happen. 100% possibility. Words expressing possibility can also be added before it to modify possibility.
明天会下雨。(It's going to rain tomorrow. 100% possibility.)
明天*可能*会下雨。(Maybe it's going to rain tomorrow.)

These sentence are both 0% possibility. But 不可能 sounds much stronger. People usually use longer words when they try to stress things.
[1] 不会是他
[2] 那不可能是他

能, 能够 mean capablity, not possibility.
明天你会来吗？(Are you going to come tomorrow? Simply talking about possibility, no implication on capability.)
明天你能来吗？(Would you be able to come tomorrow? Implies the person may need to make an effort to come.)
明天你能够来吗？(*Actually I would not say this.)


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## qínshūbǎo

Does verb (可以) have the similar close meaning with 能, 可能, 能够 ? I often use verb (可以) with meaning "can (do something)". Is that good enough?


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## luketime

I believe 可以 and 能/能够 are in most cases interchangeable when expressing capability to do something or asking for permission.

 I don't think 可能 has the similar meaning.


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