能不能

Character by character

• 能néng10 strokesHSK 1to be able; can, permitted to; ability
• 不bù4 strokesHSK 1no, not; un-; negative prefix
• 能néng10 strokesHSK 1to be able; can, permitted to; ability

Each character links to its stroke order page with a tracing and a writing exercise.

Words with the same characters

These words share at least one character with 能不能. Reading them together is how the character starts to stick — the same characters in a different context.

• 不bùHSK 1

  no; not so; (bound form) not; un-

• 能néngHSK 1

  can; to be able to; might possibly; ability; (physics) energy

• 可能kě néngHSK 2

  might (happen); possible; probable; possibility; probability; maybe; perhaps

• 不过bù guòHSK 2

  only; merely; no more than; but; however; anyway (to get back to a previous topic); cannot be more (after adjectival)

• 不要bù yàoHSK 2

  don't!; must not

• 不错bù cuòHSK 2

  correct; right; not bad; pretty good

• 不同bù tóngHSK 2

  different; distinct; not the same; not alike

• 能够néng gòuHSK 2

  to be capable of; to be able to; can

• 能力néng lìHSK 3

  capability; ability

• 不管bù guǎnHSK 4

  not to be concerned; regardless of; no matter

• 只能zhǐ néngHSK 2

  can only; obliged to do sth; to have no other choice

• 不再bù zàiHSK 6

  no more; no longer

• 不用bù yòngHSK 1

  need not

• 不少bù shǎoHSK 2

  many; a lot; not few

• 不断bù duànHSK 3

  unceasing; uninterrupted; continuous; constant

• 不够bù gòuHSK 2

  not enough; insufficient; inadequate

• 不行bù xíngHSK 2

  won't do; be out of the question; be no good; not work; not be capable

• 不仅bù jǐnHSK 3

  not just; not limited to; (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...)

• 不知bù zhīHSK 7

  not to know; unaware; unknowingly; fig. not to admit (defeat, hardships, tiredness etc)

• 对不起duì bu qǐHSK 1

  I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint

• 不得不bù dé bùHSK 3

  have no choice or option but to; cannot but; have to; can't help it; can't avoid

• 差不多chà bu duōHSK 2

  almost; nearly; more or less; about the same; good enough; not bad

• 不必bù bìHSK 3

  need not; does not have to; not necessarily

• 功能gōng néngHSK 3

  function; capability