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不能. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
不能, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
不能 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
不能 you have here. The definition of the word
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不能, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
|
|
not; no
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ability; can; may ability; can; may; capable; energy; able
|
| trad. (不能)
|
不
|
能
|
| simp. #(不能)
|
不
|
能
|
Etymology
The slang usage is a mimicry of Japanese syntax.
Pronunciation
| Rime
|
| Character
|
不
|
不
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不
|
能
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| Reading #
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1/3
|
2/3
|
3/3
|
2/4
|
| Initial (聲)
|
幫 (1)
|
幫 (1)
|
幫 (1)
|
泥 (8)
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| Final (韻)
|
尤 (136)
|
尤 (136)
|
文 (60)
|
登 (129)
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| Tone (調)
|
Level (Ø)
|
Rising (X)
|
Checked (Ø)
|
Level (Ø)
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| Openness (開合)
|
Open
|
Open
|
Closed
|
Open
|
| Division (等)
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III
|
III
|
III
|
I
|
| Fanqie
|
甫鳩切
|
方久切
|
分勿切
|
奴登切
|
| Baxter
|
pjuw
|
pjuwX
|
pjut
|
nong
|
| Reconstructions
|
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
|
/pɨu/
|
/pɨuX/
|
/pɨut̚/
|
/nəŋ/
|
Pan
Wuyun
|
/piu/
|
/piuX/
|
/piut̚/
|
/nəŋ/
|
Shao
Rongfen
|
/piəu/
|
/piəuX/
|
/piuət̚/
|
/nəŋ/
|
Edwin
Pulleyblank
|
/puw/
|
/puwX/
|
/put̚/
|
/nəŋ/
|
Li
Rong
|
/piu/
|
/piuX/
|
/piuət̚/
|
/nəŋ/
|
Wang
Li
|
/pĭəu/
|
/pĭəuX/
|
/pĭuət̚/
|
/nəŋ/
|
Bernard
Karlgren
|
/pi̯ə̯u/
|
/pi̯ə̯uX/
|
/pi̯uət̚/
|
/nəŋ/
|
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
|
fōu
|
fǒu
|
fu
|
néng
|
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
|
fau1
|
fau2
|
fat1
|
nang4
|
| Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
|
| Character
|
不
|
能
|
| Reading #
|
1/2
|
3/3
|
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
|
bù
|
néng
|
Middle
Chinese
|
‹ pjuw ›
|
‹ nong ›
|
Old
Chinese
|
/*pə/
|
/*nˁə(ʔ)/ (~ *nˁəŋ)
|
| English
|
not
|
able; ability
|
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
|
| Zhengzhang system (2003)
|
| Character
|
不
|
不
|
不
|
能
|
| Reading #
|
1/3
|
2/3
|
3/3
|
3/4
|
| No.
|
1025
|
1029
|
1048
|
9415
|
Phonetic
component
|
不
|
不
|
不
|
能
|
Rime
group
|
之
|
之
|
物
|
蒸
|
Rime
subdivision
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Corresponding
MC rime
|
不
|
缶
|
弗
|
能
|
Old
Chinese
|
/*pɯ/
|
/*pɯʔ/
|
/*pɯ'/
|
/*nɯːŋ/
|
| Notes
|
|
象花柎與本同源
|
中古才促化
|
|
Verb
不能
- cannot; must not; should not
人是不能跟瘋子講道理的。 [MSC, trad.]
人是不能跟疯子讲道理的。 [MSC, simp.]- Rén shì bùnéng gēn fēngzi jiǎngdàolǐ de.
- You can't talk reason with crazy people.
你是不能逃過處分的。 [MSC, trad.]
你是不能逃过处分的。 [MSC, simp.]- Nǐ shì bùnéng táo guò chǔfèn de.
- You can't get away with it.
你不能把酒賣給未成年人。 [MSC, trad.]
你不能把酒卖给未成年人。 [MSC, simp.]- Nǐ bùnéng bǎ jiǔ mài gěi wèichéngniánrén.
- You cannot sell alcohol to minors.
- to be unable to; to fail to
Synonyms
- 未能 (wèinéng)
- (Hokkien) 𣍐當／𫧃当 (bē-tàng, bōe-tàng)
Derived terms
Descendants
Particle
不能
- (neologism, slang) A verbal complement expressing incapability.
我實在理解不能。 [MSC, trad.]
我实在理解不能。 [MSC, simp.]- Wǒ shízài lǐjiě bùnéng.
- I really cannot understand.
Japanese
Adjective
不能 • (funō) -na (adnominal 不能な (funō na), adverbial 不能に (funō ni))
- incompetent
- incapable, inefficient
- impossible
Inflection
| Stem forms
|
| Imperfective (未然形)
|
不能だろ
|
ふのうだろ
|
funō daro
|
| Continuative (連用形)
|
不能で
|
ふのうで
|
funō de
|
| Terminal (終止形)
|
不能だ
|
ふのうだ
|
funō da
|
| Attributive (連体形)
|
不能な
|
ふのうな
|
funō na
|
| Hypothetical (仮定形)
|
不能なら
|
ふのうなら
|
funō nara
|
| Imperative (命令形)
|
不能であれ
|
ふのうであれ
|
funō de are
|
| Key constructions
|
| Informal negative
|
不能ではない
不能じゃない
|
ふのうではない
ふのうじゃない
|
funō de wa nai
funō ja nai
|
| Informal past
|
不能だった
|
ふのうだった
|
funō datta
|
| Informal negative past
|
不能ではなかった
不能じゃなかった
|
ふのうではなかった
ふのうじゃなかった
|
funō de wa nakatta
funō ja nakatta
|
| Formal
|
不能です
|
ふのうです
|
funō desu
|
| Formal negative
|
不能ではありません
不能じゃありません
|
ふのうではありません
ふのうじゃありません
|
funō de wa arimasen
funō ja arimasen
|
| Formal past
|
不能でした
|
ふのうでした
|
funō deshita
|
| Formal negative past
|
不能ではありませんでした
不能じゃありませんでした
|
ふのうではありませんでした
ふのうじゃありませんでした
|
funō de wa arimasen deshita
funō ja arimasen deshita
|
| Conjunctive
|
不能で
|
ふのうで
|
funō de
|
| Conditional
|
不能なら（ば）
|
ふのうなら（ば）
|
funō nara (ba)
|
| Provisional
|
不能だったら
|
ふのうだったら
|
funō dattara
|
| Volitional
|
不能だろう
|
ふのうだろう
|
funō darō
|
| Adverbial
|
不能に
|
ふのうに
|
funō ni
|
| Degree
|
不能さ
|
ふのうさ
|
funōsa
|
Synonyms
Noun
不能 • (funō)
- incompetence
- incapability, inefficiency
- impossibility
Derived terms
References
- 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.