possible; maybe; possibility
HSK level
可能 is written with 15 strokes (可: 5, 能: 10). The animation replays automatically.
可能 (kěnéng) does triple duty: as an adverb 'possibly / maybe' modifying a verb (他可能不来 'he might not come'), as an adjective 'possible' (这是可能的 'this is possible'), and as a noun 'possibility' (有可能 'there's a possibility').
It is the most common way Chinese speakers hedge a statement — much like English 'maybe' or 'might.' Position matters: as an adverb it goes before the verb, after the subject — 我可能去 ('I might go'), not 可能我去. To negate, you can say 不可能 ('impossible'), which is much stronger than 可能不 + verb ('might not').
Compare with 也许 (yěxǔ, 'perhaps'), which expresses a softer, more speculative maybe — often interchangeable with 可能, though 可能 is slightly more concrete (a 50/50 chance) while 也许 leans more wishful. The fixed phrase 不可能 ('no way / impossible') is everyday slang. 可能性 (kěnéngxìng) is the noun form 'possibility / likelihood.'
Character by character
Memory hook: 可 (can) + 能 (able to) — both characters mean 'can.' Together they back into 'possibly,' i.e. 'within the realm of being able to happen.'
他今天可能不来。
Tā jīntiān kěnéng bù lái.
He might not come today.
spoken
明天可能下雨。
Míngtiān kěnéng xià yǔ.
It might rain tomorrow.
neutral
这是不可能的。
Zhè shì bù kěnéng de.
This is impossible.
neutral
我很可能要换工作。
Wǒ hěn kěnéng yào huàn gōngzuò.
I'm very likely going to change jobs.
spoken
也许 is 'perhaps / maybe' — softer and more speculative than 可能. 可能 implies a real chance you can estimate; 也许 is more wishful or vague. 也许他会来 ('perhaps he'll come') vs 他可能来 ('he might come').
或许 is the slightly more formal/written sibling of 也许. Same general meaning. Use 可能 in speech, 或许 in essays.
能 alone means 'can / be able to' (capability or permission). 我能去 = 'I can go' (factual). 我可能去 = 'I might go' (probability). Don't mix capability with possibility.
Acquire it by listening
Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 可能 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.
