Subject + 能 / 不能 + Verb
Reach for 能 / 不能 when you want to say someone can or cannot do something — based on ability, permission, or external circumstances. 能 covers physical ability ('I can lift this'), conditional possibility ('I can come tomorrow'), and permission in specific contexts ('you can park here'). 不能 is the negation. It's one of the first modal verbs you learn because so many everyday questions and decisions ride on it.
Structure
Subject + 能 / 不能 + Verb (+ Object)
néng / bù néng + [verb]
How to Think About It
能 is about whether circumstances allow an action — capability, availability, or conditions lining up. It is NOT the same as 会, which is about a learned skill. 我会游泳 = I know how to swim (learned). 我能游一千米 = I can swim a kilometer (capable right now). When in doubt, ask: 'is this about a skill the person learned, or about whether the situation permits the action?' Skill = 会. Situation = 能.
Examples
我今天不能来。
Wǒ jīntiān bù néng lái.
I can't come today.
你能帮我一下吗?
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ yīxià ma?
Can you help me for a moment?
这里不能停车。
Zhèlǐ bù néng tíngchē.
You can't park here.
Common Mistake
Learners reach for 能 to describe learned skills, but Chinese uses 会 for skills and 能 for capability or permission. Saying 我能说中文 is technically possible but sounds odd — natives say 我会说中文 ('I know how to speak Chinese'). Use 能 when emphasizing capability under current conditions.
我能说五种语言。
我会说五种语言。
Don't Confuse With
会 + Verb
会 = learned skill (我会开车 = I know how to drive). 能 = capability or permission (我今天能开车吗? = can I drive today?). Skill versus situation.
可以 + Verb
可以 leans toward permission and politeness; 能 leans toward capability. '可以借我笔吗?' (May I borrow a pen?) is more polite than '能借我笔吗?'. In permission contexts they often overlap.
要 + Verb
要 expresses want or future intention, not ability. 我要去 = I want to go / I will go. 我能去 = I'm able to go. Don't substitute one for the other.
Practice
我今天 ___ 去上班, 因为生病了。
Show answer
不能
你 ___ 听懂我说的话吗?
Show answer
能
Put in order: [能 / 我 / 帮 / 你 / 吗]
Show answer
我能帮你吗?
Translate to Chinese: 'I can't go tomorrow.'
Show answer
我明天不能去。
Write a sentence about something you can or cannot do today, using 能 or 不能.
Show answer
Example answer: 我今天能下班早一点。 (I can get off work a little early today.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear Subject + 能 / 不能 + Verb in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.