Learn Chinese grammar with examples,get understanding of Chinese language!Here, we will give a simple introduction on how you describe a possible situation and/or action.

1. 可能 ke3 neng2

Adv.   From previous classes, you may have already known the characters可 and 能.  Both characters can mean ‘capability’ and ‘possibility’ individually.  When put together, the word they make up of always means probability/chance/possibility.

In a sentence, 可能is put ahead of “verb (+ noun)” structure, just like “May” in English.

See the following example:

2. 他   可能        喜欢    数学

        ta1    ke3neng2     xi3huan1  shu4xue2

        He    perhaps/may  likes        math. 

 3. 我     可能      很 快       辞职

        wo3    ke3neng2   hen3kuai4     ci2zhi2

           I        may             soon           quit (my job).

 4. 不 可能

         bu4 ke3 neng2

         “cannot, improbable to, unlikely to”. 

Here, 不is put ahead of可能.  It means the situation/action that follows is very unlikely happen.  The negative sense is used toward to ‘可能’likelihood.  This is different from the case when不is put behind可能, which will be explain later in this class.

5.  她   不可能       有    三十岁

        ta1    bu4ke3neng2   you3  san1shi2sui4 

        She   cannot             be      30 years old.

 6. 我们       不可能       忘记     这场           比赛

        wuo3men2    bu4ke3neng2   wang4ji4   zhe4chang3    bi3sai4

        We              can never          forget        this                  game.

 7. 可能不

         ke3neng2 bu4

         May not, perhaps not

Compared with不 可能 in point 4, 不is put behind可能.  It means the situation/action that follows is likely to happen in negative sens.  The negative sense is used toward to the situation/action rather than ‘可能’likelihood. 

8. 她   可能      没有      三十岁

         ta1    ke3neng2   mei2you3  san1shi2sui4 

         She        may      not be         30 years old. 

*Compared with point 5., it shows a less degree of certainty because, again, negative sense is used toward ‘有’ not ‘可能’.

9. 我们       可能       不会     忘记      这场           比赛

       wuo3men2    ke3neng2   bu2hui4     wang4ji4   zhe4chang3    bi3sai4

       We               may             not           forget       this                 game.

From: zapChinese