可能

Attested in Old Chinese; original meanings were “to be able to, competent”, “can be achieved, possible”.

可能

1. possible; probable; likely

Chinese does not have different words for possible and probable in the way that English does. To express the sense that something is probable—i.e., likely to happen as opposed to just being a possibility among others—consider adding 很 (hěn) before 可能 or 有可能 (yǒukěnéng).

• 容易 (róngyì)

可能

1. maybe; perhaps; probably; might; may

   可能我會去。／可能我会去。  ―  Kěnéng wǒ huì qù.  ―  Perhaps I will go.

   他可能被開除了。 [MSC, trad.]
   他可能被开除了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā kěnéng bèi kāichú le.

   He may have been fired.

可能

1. possibility; probability; likelihood (Classifier: 個／个)

   無限可能／无限可能  ―  wúxiàn kěnéng  ―  infinite possibilities

   什麼事都有發生的可能。 [MSC, trad.]
   什么事都有发生的可能。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shénme shì dōu yǒu fāshēng de kěnéng.

   Anything has a possibility of happening.

可能

1. (literary) to be competent to; to have the ability to

   • 孟莊子之孝也，其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     孟庄子之孝也，其他可能也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Mèng Zhuāng zǐ zhī xiào yě, qítā kěnéng yě.

     The filial piety of Meng Zhuang, in other matters, was what other men are competent to.

2. (literary) can be achieved; to be possible

   • 養，可能也，敬為難。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     养，可能也，敬为难。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Yǎng, kěnéng yě, jìng wéi nán.

     One may be able to support them; the difficulty is in doing so with the proper reverence.

可能

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 可 (a question-forming particle), 能 ("can; be able to").

   汝亦驚弦者，來歸過我廬。可能滄海外，代寄故人書？ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
   汝亦惊弦者，来归过我庐。可能沧海外，代寄故人书？ [Literary Chinese, simp.]

   Rǔ yì jīng xián zhě, láiguī guò wǒ lú. Kě néng cānghǎi wài, dài jì gù rén shū?

   (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1963, 梁羽生, chapter 52, in 雲海玉弓緣:

     金世遺低聲說道：「之華，我一直很敬愛你，以後也永不會變。可是我已經答應了一個人，不是當面答應她，而是在她死後，心裡頭答應她了。我這一生，除了她之外，是再也不能有第二個人了。之華，之華！你、你、你、你可能諒解我這份心情？」 [MSC, trad.]
     金世遗低声说道：「之华，我一直很敬爱你，以后也永不会变。可是我已经答应了一个人，不是当面答应她，而是在她死后，心里头答应她了。我这一生，除了她之外，是再也不能有第二个人了。之华，之华！你、你、你、你可能谅解我这份心情？」 [MSC, simp.]

     Jīn Shìyí dīshēng shuō dào: “Zhīhuá, wǒ yīzhí hěn jìng'ài nǐ, yǐhòu yě yǒng bù huì biàn. Kěshì wǒ yǐjīng dāying le yī ge rén, bù shì dāngmiàn dāying tā, ér shì zài tā sǐhòu, xīn lǐtóu dāying tā le. Wǒ zhè yīshēng, chú le tā zhīwài, shì zài yě bù néng yǒu dì èr ge rén le. Zhīhuá, Zhīhuá! Nǐ, nǐ, nǐ, nǐ kě néng liàngjiě wǒ zhè fèn xīnqíng?”

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

From Middle Chinese compound 可能 (kha^X nong, literally “may, can + able, ability”).

• (Tokyo) かのー (Heiban – )^[1]
• IPA^(key):

可(か)能(のう) • (kanō) -na (adnominal 可(か)能(のう)な (kanō na), adverbial 可(か)能(のう)に (kanō ni))

1. possible
2. feasible

• できる (dekiru)
• (possible): ありうる (ariuru), 起(お)こりうる (okoriuru)

(antonym(s) of “possible”):

• ありえない (arienai), 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): impossible
• 必(ひつ)然(ぜん)的(てき) (hitsuzenteki): inevitable

• 可(か)能(のう)性(せい) (kanōsei): (possibility, feasibility)

可(か)能(のう) • (kanō) 

1. possibility, good chance

   可能(かのう)の

   kanō no

   possible

2. feasibility

• (antonym(s) of “possibility”): 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): impossible; 必(ひつ)然(ぜん)的(てき) (hitsuzenteki): inevitable
• (antonym(s) of “feasibility”): 不(ふ)可(か)能(のう) (fukanō): (infeasibility)

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.

可能 • (ganeung) (hangeul 가능)

1. hanja form^? of 가능 (“possibility”)

可能

1. chữ Hán form of khả năng (“ability; capability; competence”).