会 huì / kuài — can; be possible; be able to; to assemble; to meet; to gather
我会说一点儿中文。Wǒ huì shuō yì diǎnr Zhōng wén.I can speak a little Chinese.
Common words: 一会儿 (yī huì r)、开会 (kāi huì)、机会 (jī huì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "can"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "can", including 会 (huì / kuài), 可 (kě), 能 (néng), 罐 (guàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "can" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 会 (huì / kuài), 可 (kě), 能 (néng), 罐 (guàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span huì, kuài, kě, néng, guàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 会 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 会 huì / kuàican; be possible; be able to; to assemble; to meet; to gatherUseful words: 一会儿, 开会
- 可 kěcan; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)Useful words: 可以, 可能
- 能 néngcan; may; capable; energy; ableUseful words: 可能, 能够
- 罐 guàncan; jar; potUseful words: 罐头, 易拉罐
Common words for these 4 "can" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 会 (huì / kuài) — so "can" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
一会儿yī huì ra moment; a while; in a moment; now...now...开会kāi huìto hold a meeting; to attend a meeting机会jī huìopportunity; chance; occasion可以kě yǐcan; may; possible; able to可能kě néngmight (happen); possible; probable; possibility可是kě shìbut; however; (used for emphasis) indeed可能kě néngmight (happen); possible; probable; possibility能够néng gòuto be capable of; to be able to; can只能zhǐ néngcan only; obliged to do sth; to have no other choice罐头guàn toutin; can
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "can".
可 kě — can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)
这里的风景可真美。Zhè lǐ de fēng jǐng kě zhēn měi.The scenery here is really beautiful.
Common words: 可以 (kě yǐ)、可能 (kě néng)、可是 (kě shì)
能 néng — can; may; capable; energy; able
我能帮你拿行李吗？Wǒ néng bāng nǐ ná xíng li ma?Can I help you carry the luggage?
Common words: 可能 (kě néng)、能够 (néng gòu)、只能 (zhǐ néng)
罐 guàn — can; jar; pot
妈妈把白糖装进了一个玻璃罐里。Mā ma bǎ bái táng zhuāng jìn le yí ge bō li guàn lǐ.Mom put the sugar into a glass jar.
Common words: 罐头 (guàn tou)、易拉罐 (yì lā guàn)、罐子 (guàn zi)
All 4 characters
Open 会、可、能 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.