Being able to with 能

Structure Subject + 能 + Verb

能 (néng) is "can" in the sense of having the capacity, strength or permission to do something in a specific situation: 我今天不能去 ("I can’t go today"). Unlike 会 (a learned skill), 能 is about whether it is possible NOW. Negate with 不能 and ask with 能不能…?

Examples

我wǒ今jīn天tiān不bù能néng去qù。
I can’t go today.
你nǐ能néng听tīng懂dǒng吗ma？
Can you understand (by listening)?
这zhè里lǐ能néng吃chī饭fàn吗ma？
Can you eat here?

Levels are indicative: they follow the standard Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning) progression, not an official HSK 3.0 mapping. We never assign levels by eye.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.