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"can" Chinese-English Dictionary

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Chinese Pinyin Translation
可以 kě yǐ can / may / possible / able to / not bad / pretty good syn
会 會 huì can / to have the skill / to know how to / to be likely to / to be sure to / to meet / to get together / meeting / gathering / (suffix) union / group / association / (bound form) a moment (Taiwan pr. [hui3]) syn
能 néng can / to be able to / might possibly / ability / (physics) energy syn
听 聽 tīng to listen to / to hear / to heed / to obey / a can (loanword from English "tin") / classifier for canned beverages / to let be / to allow (Taiwan pr. [ting4]) / (literary) to administer / to deal with (Taiwan pr. [ting4]) syn
能够 能夠 néng gòu to be capable of / to be able to / can syn
罐头 罐頭 guàn tou tin / can / CL:個|个[ge4] syn
可 kě (prefix) can / may / able to / -able / to approve / to permit / to suit / (particle used for emphasis) certainly / very / but / however syn
堪 kān (bound form) may / can / (bound form) to endure / to bear / (in 堪輿|堪舆[kan1 yu2]) heaven (contrasted with earth 輿|舆[yu2]) syn
桶 tǒng bucket / (trash) can / barrel (of oil etc) / CL:個|个[ge4],隻|只[zhi1]
Chinese Pinyin Translation
只有 zhǐ yǒu only have ... / there is only ... / (used in combination with 才[cai2]) it is only if one ... (that one can ...) (Example: 只有通過治療才能痊愈|只有通过治疗才能痊愈[zhi3 you3 tong1 guo4 zhi4 liao2 cai2 neng2 quan2 yu4] "the only way to cure it is with therapy") / it is only ... (who ...) (Example: 只有男性才有此需要[zhi3 you3 nan2 xing4 cai2 you3 ci3 xu1 yao4] "only men would have such a requirement") / (used to indicate that one has no alternative) one can only (do a certain thing) (Example: 只有屈服[zhi3 you3 qu1 fu2] "the only thing you can do is give in") syn
只能 zhǐ néng can only / obliged to do sth / to have no other choice syn
即可 jí kě equivalent to 就可以 / can then (do sth) / can immediately (do sth) / (do sth) and that will suffice
能否 néng fǒu whether or not / can it or can't it / is it possible? syn
按钮 按鈕 àn niǔ to push a button / button (one that can be pressed to trigger an action)
可见 可見 kě jiàn it can clearly be seen (that this is the case) / it is (thus) clear / clear / visible syn
会不会 會不會 huì bù huì (posing a question: whether sb, something) can or cannot? / is able to or not
能不能 néng bù néng can or cannot? / Is it possible? / Can we do it?
不成 bù chéng won't do / unable to / (at the end of a rhetorical question) can that be? syn
得以 dé yǐ able to / so that sb can / enabling / in order to / finally in a position to / with sth in view syn
哪儿 哪兒 nǎ r where? / wherever / anywhere / somewhere / (used in rhetorical questions) how can ...? / how could ...? syn
均可 jūn kě all are OK / both are OK / all can / both can / also can
可达 可達 kě dá can reach / can get as high as / up to
过得 過得 guò dé How are you getting by? / How's life? / contraction of 過得去|过得去, can get by / tolerably well / not too bad
明月 míng yuè bright moon / refers to 夜明珠, a legendary pearl that can glow in the dark / CL:輪|轮[lun2] syn
怎能 zěn néng how can?
力争 力爭 lì zhēng to work hard for / to do all one can / to contend strongly syn
堪称 堪稱 kān chēng can be rated as / can be said to be
来得及 來得及 lái de jí to have enough time / can do it in time / can still make it syn
莫非 mò fēi can it be possible that / could it be syn
漫天 màn tiān lit. to fill the whole sky / everywhere / as far as the eye can see syn
奋力 奮力 fèn lì to do everything one can / to spare no effort / to strive syn
可作 kě zuò can be used for
方能 fāng néng can then (and only then)
由此可见 由此可見 yóu cǐ kě jiàn from this, it can be seen that... syn
可想而知 kě xiǎng ér zhī (idiom) (it) goes without saying / can well be imagined
可望 kě wàng can be expected (to) / to be expected (to) / hopefully (happening) syn
莫过于 莫過於 mò guò yú nothing can surpass syn
橱柜 櫥櫃 chú guì cupboard / cupboard that can also be used as a table / sideboard syn
称得上 稱得上 chēng de shàng can be counted as
看得见 看得見 kàn dé jiàn can see / visible
好比 hǎo bǐ to be just like / can be compared to syn
应有尽有 應有盡有 yīng yǒu jìn yǒu everything that should be here is here (idiom) / all one can think of is on hand / to have all one needs syn
会否 會否 huì fǒu can or cannot / is it possible?
外观设计 外觀設計 wài guān shè jì look / external appearance / design / overall brand look or logo that can be patented
不失为 不失為 bù shī wéi can still be considered (to be...) / may after all be accepted as syn
忍无可忍 忍無可忍 rěn wú kě rěn more than one can bear (idiom) / at the end of one's patience / the last straw
水壶 水壺 shuǐ hú kettle / canteen / watering can
垃圾桶 lā jī tǒng rubbish bin / trash can / garbage can / Taiwan pr. [le4 se4 tong3] syn
比比皆是 bǐ bǐ jiē shì can be found everywhere syn
有目共睹 yǒu mù gòng dǔ anyone with eyes can see it (idiom) / obvious to all / sth speaks for itself / is there for all to see syn
酒量 jiǔ liàng capacity for liquor / how much one can drink
办不到 辦不到 bàn bu dào impossible / can't be done / no can do / unable to accomplish syn
海选 海選 hǎi xuǎn (in elections for village committees in the PRC since the 1990s) unrestricted nomination, a type of election where 1. everyone in the community is eligible to nominate somebody 2. voting is done by writing the name of one's nominee on the ballot, and 3. one's nominee can be anyone in the community (Nominees who receive the highest number of votes may be thereby elected or, more often, presented as the candidates in a further round of voting.) / (in other contexts) selection of the best contender in a process open to all comers / (in the entertainment industry) open audition
一望无际 一望無際 yī wàng wú jì as far as the eye can see (idiom) syn
曾几何时 曾幾何時 céng jǐ hé shí just a while before / not so long ago / everyone can remember when.. syn
谱写 譜寫 pǔ xiě to compose (a piece of music) / (fig.) to create, by one's actions, a narrative (generally one that can be recounted with pride) syn
足见 足見 zú jiàn it goes to show that / one can see syn
把柄 bǎ bǐng handle / (fig.) information that can be used against sb syn
倒挂 倒掛 dào guà lit. to hang upside down / fig. topsy-turvy and inequitable, e.g. manufacturing and trading costs exceed the sale price (of some goods) / to borrow more than one can ever repay syn
垃圾箱 lā jī xiāng rubbish can / garbage can / trash can syn
去得 qù de can go
鸦雀无声 鴉雀無聲 yā què wú shēng lit. crow and peacock make no sound / absolute silence (idiom) / not a single voice can be heard / absolute silence syn
美不胜收 美不勝收 měi bù shèng shōu nothing more beautiful can be imagined (idiom) syn
屈指可数 屈指可數 qū zhǐ kě shǔ can be counted on one's fingers (idiom) / very few syn
大相径庭 大相徑庭 dà xiāng jìng tíng as different as can be (idiom) / poles apart syn
驾轻就熟 駕輕就熟 jià qīng jiù shú lit. an easy drive on a familiar path (idiom) / fig. experience makes progress easy / a task that is so familiar one can do it with one's hand tied behind one's back syn
凉拌 涼拌 liáng bàn to dress cold food with sauce / (slang) there's not much you can do about it (wordplay using 拌[ban4] instead of its homophone 辦|办[ban4])
量力而行 liàng lì ér xíng to assess one's capabilities and act accordingly (idiom) / to act within one's competence / One does what one can.
过得去 過得去 guò dé qù lit. can pass through (an opening) / fig. can get by (in life) / tolerably well / not too bad / How are you getting by? / How's life? syn
少年宫 少年宮 shào nián gōng Children's Palace, institution where children can take part in various extracurricular activities
易拉罐 yì lā guàn pull-top can / easy-open can (with ring-pull)
岂有此理 豈有此理 qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ how can this be so? (idiom) / preposterous / ridiculous / absurd syn
倾尽 傾盡 qīng jìn to do all one can / to give all one has
容身 róng shēn to find a place where one can fit in / to make one's home / to seek shelter syn
亲密无间 親密無間 qīn mì wú jiān close relation, no gap (idiom) / intimate and nothing can come between syn
漫山遍野 màn shān biàn yě lit. covering the mountains and the plains (idiom) / fig. as far as the eye can see / covering everything / omnipresent syn
小辫子 小辮子 xiǎo biàn zi pigtail / (fig.) a shortcoming or evidence of wrongdoing that can be seized upon by others syn
可歌可泣 kě gē kě qì lit. you can sing or you can cry (idiom) / fig. deeply moving / happy and sad / inspiring and tragic syn
应接不暇 應接不暇 yìng jiē bù xiá more than one can attend to (idiom) / deluged (with inquiries etc) / overwhelmed (by the beauty of the scenery) syn
有机可乘 有機可乘 yǒu jī kě chéng to have an opportunity that one can exploit (idiom) syn
可遇不可求 kě yù bù kě qiú can be discovered but not sought (idiom) / one can only come across such things serendipitously
能说会道 能說會道 néng shuō huì dào can talk really well (idiom) / the gift of the gab syn
目空一切 mù kōng yī qiè the eye can see nothing worthwhile all around (idiom) / arrogant / condescending / supercilious syn
雅俗共赏 雅俗共賞 yǎ sú gòng shǎng can be enjoyed by scholars and lay-people alike (idiom)
师友 師友 shī yǒu friend from whom you can seek advice syn
杏花村 xìng huā cūn village of blossoming apricot trees where one can find a wineshop (reference to the famous poem 清明 by 杜牧[Du4 Mu4])
未卜先知 wèi bǔ xiān zhī predictable / sth one can predict without being a clairvoyant syn
幽明 yōu míng the hidden and the visible / that which can be seen and that which cannot / darkness and light / night and day / wisdom and ignorance / evil and good / the living and the dead / men and ghosts
振聋发聩 振聾發聵 zhèn lóng fā kuì lit. so loud that even the deaf can hear (idiom) / rousing even the apathetic syn
有赖 有賴 yǒu lài (of an outcome) to rely on / to require / can only be achieved by means of syn
门可罗雀 門可羅雀 mén kě luó què lit. you can net sparrows at the door (idiom) / fig. completely deserted syn
水罐 shuǐ guàn container for holding and pouring water (or other liquid): jug, pitcher, clay jar, jerry can, water bottle etc
识时务者为俊杰 識時務者為俊傑 shí shí wù zhě wèi jùn jié Only an outstanding talent can recognize current trends (idiom). A wise man submits to circumstances.
墒情 shāng qíng the state of moisture in the soil (and whether it can support a crop)
一望无垠 一望無垠 yī wàng wú yín to stretch as far as the eye can see (idiom) syn
季诺 季諾 jì nuò a promise that can be realized
量入为出 量入為出 liàng rù wéi chū to assess one's income and spend accordingly (idiom) / to live within one's means / You can only spend what you earn. syn
抓挠 抓撓 zhuā nao to scratch / to mess about with / to quarrel / to scramble to do / sb or sth that one can rely on syn
回天乏术 回天乏術 huí tiān fá shù (idiom) nothing can be done to remedy the situation / beyond recovery syn
水滴石穿 shuǐ dī shí chuān dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom) / constant perseverance yields success / You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up. / Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty. syn
The four tones The four tones of Mandarin Pitch over time: tone 1 high and level (red), tone 2 rising (orange), tone 3 falling then rising (green), tone 4 falling (blue). tone 1 tone 2 tone 3 tone 4 Time Pitch

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