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Usages of néng
我们 能 一起 去 看 电影 吗?wǒmen néng yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng ma?
Can we go watch a movie together?
你 能 写 得 很 好 吗?nǐ néng xiě de hěn hǎo ma?
Can you write well?
昨天 我 跟 她 说 我 不 能 去。zuótiān wǒ gēn tā shuō wǒ bù néng qù.
Yesterday I told her I couldn’t go.
因为 我 很 忙, 所以 我 不 能 跟 你 一起 去 看 电影。yīnwèi wǒ hěn máng, suǒyǐ wǒ bù néng gēn nǐ yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.
Because I am very busy, I can’t go watch a movie with you.
你 能 帮忙 吗?nǐ néng bāngmáng ma?
Can you help?
你 能 把 那 本 书 拿 来 吗?nǐ néng bǎ nà běn shū ná lái ma?
Can you bring that book here?
为了 健康, 医生 说 我们 即使 忙 也 不 能 放弃 吃 早饭 的 习惯。Wèile jiànkāng, yīshēng shuō wǒmen jíshǐ máng yě bù néng fàngqì chī zǎofàn de xíguàn.
For the sake of our health, the doctor said that even if we’re busy we must not give up the habit of eating breakfast.
我 希望 明年 能 跟 室友 一起 去 别的 城市 旅游。wǒ xīwàng míngnián néng gēn shìyǒu yìqǐ qù biéde chéngshì lǚyóu.
I hope to travel to another city with my roommate next year.
他 饿 了 很 久 以后 才 吃 晚饭, 说 自己 能 吃 下去 很 多 东西。tā è le hěn jiǔ yǐhòu cái chī wǎnfàn, shuō zìjǐ néng chī xiàqu hěn duō dōngxi.
He didn’t eat dinner until he’d been hungry for a long time, and said he could eat a lot.
比起 一直 在 房间 里 上网, 她 觉得 去 公园 跑步 更 能 放松 自己。bǐqǐ yìzhí zài fángjiān lǐ shàngwǎng, tā juéde qù gōngyuán pǎobù gèng néng fàngsōng zìjǐ.
Compared with being online in her room all the time, she feels that running in the park relaxes her more.
她 在 食堂 里 也 能 专心 学习, 别人 说话 的 时候 她 都 听 不 见。Tā zài shítáng lǐ yě néng zhuānxīn xuéxí, biéren shuōhuà de shíhou tā dōu tīng bú jiàn.
She can also concentrate on studying in the cafeteria; when others are talking she can’t even hear them.
这 个 网上 课程 的 时间 很 合适, 下班 以后 就 能 上 课。Zhè gè wǎngshàng kèchéng de shíjiān hěn héshì, xiàbān yǐhòu jiù néng shàng kè.
The time of this online course is very suitable; you can attend class after work.
她 总是 把 可以 回收 的 垃圾 和 不 能 回收 的 垃圾 放 在 不同 的 垃圾桶 里。tā zǒngshì bǎ kěyǐ huíshōu de lājī hé bù néng huíshōu de lājī fàng zài bùtóng de lājītǒng lǐ.
She always puts recyclable trash and non‑recyclable trash into different trash cans.
多 走路 少 开车 不但 能 节省 能源, 还 可以 减少 污染。duō zǒulù shǎo kāichē búdàn néng jiéshěng néngyuán, hái kěyǐ jiǎnshǎo wūrǎn.
Walking more and driving less not only saves energy, but can also reduce pollution.
Test yourself: What does néng mean?
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