auxiliary verb HSK 2
cannot · to be unable to · must not
Meaning
不能 is a fundamental auxiliary verb expressing inability or prohibition. It combines the negation particle 不 with the possibility verb 能 to indicate that something cannot be done, either due to lack of ability, external circumstances, or rules that forbid it.
Usage
Used before action verbs to negate capability or permission. More emphatic than 不会 (lack of skill) and stronger than 不可以 (simple prohibition). Often softened in polite contexts with 真 or 实在. Native speakers commonly use it for both physical impossibility and moral/social prohibition.
Examples
- 01我今天不能去，因为要加班。, .I cannot go today because I have to work overtime.
- 02这里不能吸烟。.You cannot smoke here.
Characters
Common collocations
- 不能不cannot but, have to
- 实在不能really cannot
- 不能说cannot say
- 不能接受cannot accept