Word
可能
Meaning in Englishpossible, feasible, practicable
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
Word context
What it means
可能 denotes feasibility or the capacity for something to occur or be true; used as a na-adjective and as a noun to describe what can be done or what could be the case, often in formal or analytical contexts.
Main meanings
- General sense: describes something that can happen, be done, or be true.
- As a noun within compounds, it names the state of being possible and appears in expressions like 可能性.
- Common in technical, academic, and business contexts to discuss feasibility or potential outcomes.
How to use it
Used in formal and written Japanese to express feasibility or capability; occurs in plain and polite forms; typical constructions include 可能だ, 可能です, and 可能性; frequently used in planning, analysis, and policy discussions; in casual speech, speakers may prefer more direct verbs like できる.
Variants and close terms
- 可能だ (kanō da) — casual, plain form
- 可能です (kanō desu) — polite form
- 不可能 (fukanō) — opposite meaning impossible
- 可能性 (kanōsei) — noun form meaning possibility
Composition
- 可: relates to permissibility or acceptability; used to indicate that something is allowed or possible in compounds
- 能: denotes ability or capability; together with 可 forms the concept of potential or feasibility
Word class
na-adjective (形容動詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N3
可
ka
acceptable, passable, possible
N3
可哀想
kawaisou
pitiable, poor, pathetic
N3
可愛らしい
kawairashii
lovely, cute, charming
N3
機能
kinou
function, faculty, capability
N3
許可
kyoka
permission, approval, authorization
N3
才能
sainou
talent, ability, aptitude
N3
有能
yuunou
able, capable, efficient
N3
知能
chinou
intelligence, mental ability
N3
能力
nouryoku
ability, capability, competence
Kanji