Meaning of 能否
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- whether one can; whether it is possible
How to use 能否
能否 is a formal way to say "whether or not one can," common in writing, news, and polite requests. It often appears in sentences about outcomes or in courteous questions. Example: 您能否帮我一下？(Nín néngfǒu bāng wǒ yíxià?) Could you help me for a moment?
能否 is built from 能 (néng, can) and 否 (fǒu, not), so it literally reads "can or cannot." Picture a question mark hanging between 能 and 否, asking whether something is possible.
Common mistake: Learners often add 吗 (ma) after 能否, as in 你能否来吗, but 能否 already contains the yes-or-no meaning, so 吗 is redundant. Also watch the tone: 否 is third tone fǒu, not fōu or fòu.
能否 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
能 néng · can · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
否 fǒu · no · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 能否.
| 可能 | kěnéng | might (happen); possible |
| 只能 | zhǐ néng | can only; obliged to do sth |
| 能够 | nénggòu | to be capable of; to be able to |
| 才能 | cáinéng | talent; ability |
| 能力 | nénglì | capability; ability |
| 否认 | fǒurèn | to declare to be untrue; to deny |
| 功能 | gōngnéng | function; capability |
| 否定 | fǒudìng | to negate; to deny |
| 能不能 | néng bu néng | |
| 是否 | shìfǒu | whether (or not); if |
| 否则 | fǒuzé | otherwise; if not; or (else) |
| 能干 | nénggàn | capable; competent |
Questions about 能否
What does 能否 mean?
能否 (néngfǒu) means "whether one can; whether it is possible" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 能否?
能否 is made of 2 characters: 能 (10 strokes), 否 (7 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 能否 an HSK word?
Yes. 能否 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 能否 and 能不能?
They mean the same thing, but 能不能 (néng bu néng) is everyday spoken Chinese while 能否 sounds formal and written. Use 能否 in emails, reports, or polite requests to strangers.
Can 能否 be used in a statement, not just a question?
Yes. It often introduces an uncertain outcome inside a statement, for example 比赛能否举行还不确定 (bǐsài néngfǒu jǔxíng hái bú quèdìng), Whether the match can be held is still uncertain.