可能

• 拼音: kě néng
• 汉字拆解: 可 = 口 (mouth) + 丂 (crooked), meaning 'may/can'; 能 = originally a pictograph of a bear, meaning 'ability/capable'

含义

Possible; maybe; probably. Expresses possibility or likelihood that something will happen.

One of the most frequently used words for expressing uncertainty in Chinese. As an adverb it means 'maybe/probably,' as an adjective it means 'possible,' and as a noun it means 'possibility.' Softer and more neutral than 也许, and much more common in everyday speech.

例句

1. 明天可能会下雨。
2. 他可能不来了。
3. 这件事可能需要更多时间。

用法指南

语境: everyday, speculation, planning

语气: tentative

正确说法

• 他可能还在路上。(He's probably still on the way.)
• 这个周末可能有空。(I might be free this weekend.)

错误说法

• 可能一定会下雨。(Don't combine 可能 with 一定 — they contradict each other. Use one or the other: 可能会下雨 or 一定会下雨.)

起源与历史

Compound of 可 (can/may) + 能 (able/capable). Together they express the dual sense of permission and ability, yielding 'possible.'

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal