(néng gòu) - to be able to, can, to manage to in Mandarin
nénggòuTraditional: 能夠
Translation
to be able to, can, to manage to
Word origin
能够 (nénggòu) 'to be able to' joins 能 'can, able' with 够 'enough, to reach', conveying having sufficient capacity. 能 was originally a bear; 够 combines 多 'many' with phonetic 句.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 能 (able) + 够 (enough, to reach)
Stroke order
能
够
Examples
。
I believe you can do it.
。
I hope we can cooperate.
。
He was unable to complete the task on time.
。
I hope I can help you.
语言。
He is able to speak three languages.
能够 (néng gòu) means to be able to or to manage to do something. 能 means able and 够 means sufficient or to reach. Together they form a more emphatic or formal version of 能 (néng) alone, often suggesting that a certain level or standard is reached. 能够 is slightly more formal than plain 能 and appears frequently in written Mandarin, speeches, and polite speech (能够参加真是荣幸, it is an honour to be able to attend).
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 13.