Introduction
能 (néng) means "can" in the sense of circumstances allow it. You are free, the shop is open, your arm is not broken. It is not about skill — that is 会 (huì) — and the difference between the two is the whole of this lesson.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + 能 (néng) + Verb + Obj.
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Subj + 能 + V | 我能去。(Wǒ néng qù.) | I can go. |
| Subj + 不能 + V | 我今天不能去。(Wǒ jīntiān bù néng qù.) | I can't go today. |
| 能……吗？ | 你能来吗？(Nǐ néng lái ma?) | Can you come? |
| 能 + V + 多少 | 你能吃多少？(Nǐ néng chī duōshao?) | How much can you eat? |
| 不能（not allowed） | 这儿不能吸烟。(Zhèr bù néng xīyān.) | You can't smoke here. |
会 (huì) is skill; 能 (néng) is circumstance:
- 我会开车。(Wǒ huì kāichē.) — I can drive. I learned how.
- 我今天不能开车。(Wǒ jīntiān bù néng kāichē.) — I can't drive today. I know how, but something is in the way.
- Asking permission leans on 能 (néng) or 可以 (kěyǐ): 我能坐这儿吗？(Wǒ néng zuò zhèr ma?) — May I sit here?
- 不能 (bù néng) often means "not allowed", not "unable": 这儿不能吃东西。(Zhèr bù néng chī dōngxi.)
Examples
我今天不能去。
Wǒ jīntiān bù néng qù.
I can't go today.
你能来吗？
Nǐ néng lái ma?
Can you come?
我能坐这儿吗？
Wǒ néng zuò zhèr ma?
May I sit here?
这儿不能吸烟。
Zhèr bù néng xīyān.
Smoking isn't allowed here.
明天我能帮你。
Míngtiān wǒ néng bāng nǐ.
I can help you tomorrow.
他病了，不能上班。
Tā bìng le, bù néng shàngbān.
He's ill, so he can't go to work.
Usage Notes
- 能 (néng) goes before the verb, and so does its negative: 不能 (bù néng). ❌ 我能不去 as a way of saying "I can't go" — that is a rhetorical question.
- Short answers repeat 能 (néng): 你能来吗？(Nǐ néng lái ma?) → 能。(Néng.) or 不能。(Bù néng.)
- 能 (néng) is 2nd tone, so 不 stays bù — bù néng.
- 可以 (kěyǐ) overlaps with 能 (néng) for permission and sounds a little softer: 可以坐这儿吗？(Kěyǐ zuò zhèr ma?)
- For a capacity or an amount, 能 (néng) is the only choice: 你能吃多少？(Nǐ néng chī duōshao?) — How much can you eat?