Word: 能 (néng)

老板能监控员工的电脑吗？

Lǎobǎn néng jiānkòng yuángōng de diànnǎo ma?

Can a boss monitor his employees' computers?

老鼠骑在牛背上,大的没有小的能

lǎoshǔ qí zài niú bèi shang,dà de méiyǒu xiǎo de néng

a mouse riding on an ox's back: the big one isn't as capable as the small

聊天能加深彼此的感情。

Liáotiān néng jiāshēn bǐcǐ de gǎnqíng.

Chatting can deepen the bond between people.

能不能少用一些塑料袋？

Néng bùnéng shǎo yòng yìxiē sùliàodài?

Could we use fewer plastic bags?

能不能帮我修鞋？

Néng bùnéng bāng wǒ xiū xié?

Can you mend these shoes for me?

能不能把会议缩短一点？

Néng bùnéng bǎ huìyì suōduǎn yìdiǎn?

Can we make the meeting a bit shorter?

能不能把手续简化一下？

Néng bùnéng bǎ shǒuxù jiǎnhuà yíxià?

Could the procedures be simplified a bit?

能不能把还款时间延缓几天？

Néng bùnéng bǎ háikuǎn shíjiān yánhuǎn jǐtiān?

Could you put off the repayment date by a few days?

能不能简要说说你的想法？

Néng bùnéng jiǎnyào shuō shuō nǐ de xiǎngfǎ?

Could you concisely tell me your thoughts?

能不能给我打折？

Néng bùnéng gěi wǒ dǎzhé?

Can you give me a discount?

能不能请你拿着这端？

Néng bùnéng qǐng nǐ názhe zhè duān?

Will you please hold this edge?

能不能请你等几分钟？

Néng bùnéng qǐng nǐ děng jǐ fēnzhōng?

Would you please wait for a few minutes?

能不能请你重复一下？

Néng bùnéng qǐng nǐ chóngfù yíxià?

Could you please repeat that?

能不能请您留下一幅墨宝？

Néng bùnéng qǐng nín liúxià yìfú mòbǎo?

Could I trouble you to leave us a piece of your calligraphy?

能为你服务我会感到非常高兴。

Néng wèi nǐ fúwù wǒ huì gǎndào fēicháng gāoxìng.

I'll be very happy if I can serve you.

能人背后有能人

néng rén bèihòu yǒu néng rén

behind a capable person there's another capable person

能借我一根数据线吗？

Néng jiè wǒ yìgēn shùjùxiàn ma?

Could I borrow a data cable?

能借我支铅笔吗？

Néng jiè wǒ zhī qiānbǐ ma?

Would you lend me a pencil?

能借我点钱周转一下吗？

Néng jiè wǒ diǎn qián zhōuzhuǎn yíxià ma?

Could you lend me some money to tide me over?

能再告诉我一点吗？

Néng zài gàosu wǒ yìdiǎn ma?

Can you tell us a bit more about that?

能到这里来一下吗。

Néng dào zhèlǐ lái yíxià ma.

Would you come here a moment?

能加你微信吗？

Néng jiā nǐ Wēixìn ma?

Can I have your number?

能占用你几分钟吗？

Néng zhànyòng nǐ jǐ fēnzhōng ma?

May I take a few minutes of your time?

能吃苦方为志士，肯吃亏不是痴人

néng chīkǔ fāng wéi zhìshì, kěn chīkuī bú shì chīrén

only one who can endure hardship is a man of ideals; one willing to take a loss is no fool

能告诉我蛋糕的秘方吗？

Néng gàosu wǒ dàngāo de mìfāng ma?

Can you tell me the secret recipe for the cake?

能和家人在一起就是福。

Néng hé jiārén zài yìqǐ jiùshì Fú.

Being together with your family is happiness itself.

能和我共享一下文件吗？

Néng hé wǒ gòngxiǎng yíxià wénjiàn ma?

Could you share the file with me?

能在杯子上雕刻几个字吗？

Néng zài bēizi shàng diāokè jǐ ge zì ma?

Can you engrave a few words on this cup?

能在这儿搭建帐篷吗？

Néng zài zhèr dājiàn zhàngpeng ma?

Can we put up a tent here?

能帮助你是我莫大的荣幸。

Néng bāngzhù nǐ shì wǒ mòdà de róngxìng.

Being able to help you is my greatest honor.

能帮我修补这条裤子吗？

Néng bāng wǒ xiūbǔ zhè tiáo kùzi ma?

Could you help me mend these trousers?

能帮我打开这个罐头吗？

Néng bāng wǒ dǎkāi zhège guàntou ma?

Can you help me open this can?

能帮我把它包装成礼品吗？

Néng bāng wǒ bǎ tā bāozhuāng chéng lǐpǐn ma?

Can you gift-wrap this, please?

能帮我转交这份礼物吗？

Néng bāng wǒ zhuǎnjiāo zhè fèn lǐwù ma?

Could you pass this gift on for me?

能得到这个奖是我的荣誉。

Néng dédào zhège jiǎng shì wǒ de róngyù.

It is an honor for me to receive this award.

能忍者自安

néng rěnzhě zì ān

one who can forbear is naturally at peace

能找到知音，真不容易。

Néng zhǎodào zhīyīn, zhēn bù róngyì.

It's really not easy to find a soulmate who understands you.

能把数据集发给我吗？

Néng bǎ shùjùjí fāgěi wǒ ma?

Could you send me the dataset?

能把显示器调亮一点吗？

Néng bǎ xiǎnshìqì tiáo liàng yìdiǎn ma?

Could you make the monitor a bit brighter?

能把经济管好的政府不多。

Néng bǎ jīngjì guǎn hǎo de zhèngfǔ bù duō.

Few governments can manage the economy successfully.

能把这张原声带借我吗？

Néng bǎ zhè zhāng yuánshēngdài jiè wǒ ma?

Could you lend me this soundtrack album?

能改签到晚上的火车吗？

Néng gǎiqiān dào wǎnshang de huǒchē ma?

Can I switch to a train in the evening?

能教我几个拍照技巧吗？

Néng jiāo wǒ jǐ ge pāizhào jìqiǎo ma?

Could you teach me a few photography techniques?

能教教我怎么打领带吗？

Néng jiāo jiāo wǒ zěnme dǎ lǐngdài ma?

Can you show me how to tie a tie?

能来点茶吗？

Néng lái diǎn chá ma?

Could you get me some tea?

能理解你自己。

Néng lǐjiě nǐ zìjǐ.

Understand yourself.

能用电脑的就只有她。

Néng yòng diànnǎo de jiù zhǐyǒu tā.

Only she can use the computer.

能留一下你的联系方式吗？

Néng liú yíxià nǐ de liánxìfāngshì ma?

Could you leave your contact details?

能硬能软，才是好汉

néng yìng néng ruǎn, cái shì hǎohàn

able to be hard and able to be soft: that's a true hero

能给我一个坐的垫子吗？

Néng gěi wǒ yí gè zuò de diànzi ma?

Could you give me a cushion to sit on?

能给我带一点水来吗？

Néng gěi wǒ dài yìdiǎn shuǐ lái ma?

Could you bring me some water?

能给我打个折么？

Néng gěi wǒ dǎ gè zhé me?

Can you give me a discount?

能给我换个房间吗？

Néng gěi wǒ huàn gè fángjiān ma?

Can you change the room for me?

能给我种草个耳机吗？

Néng gěi wǒ zhòngcǎo gè ěrjī ma?

Can you recommend a good pair of earphones to me?

能表演一个魔术吗？

Néng biǎoyǎn yí gè móshù ma?

Could you perform a magic trick?

能见到你我很高兴。

Néng jiàndào nǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng.

I'm happy to see you.

能言者未必能行，能行者未必能言

néng yánzhě wèibì néng xíng, néng xíngzhě wèibì néng yán

those who can talk may not be able to do; those who can do may not be able to talk

能让我用用吗？

Néng ràng wǒ yòng yòng ma?

Am I allowed to use this?

能说给我听你的地址吗？

Néng shuō gěi wǒ tīng nǐ de dìzhǐ ma?

Can you tell me your address?

能请你离开吗？

Néng qǐng nǐ líkāi ma?

Can you just please go?

能麻烦您等一个小时左右吗？

Néng máfan nín děng yí gè xiǎoshí zuǒyòu ma?

Can you wait about an hour?

臭氧层能挡住紫外线。

Chòuyǎngcéng néng dǎngzhù zǐwàixiàn.

The ozone layer can block ultraviolet rays.

至少她能面对他们！

Zhìshǎo tā néng miànduì tāmen!

She at least, she can face them!

航班取消了，能改签吗？

Hángbān qǔxiāole, néng gǎiqiān ma?

The flight was cancelled. Can I rebook?

般若要靠修行才能得到。

Bōrě yào kào xiūxíng cái néng dédào.

Prajna can only be gained through spiritual practice.

船沉了，谁能去营救他们？

Chuán chénle, shéi néng qù yíngjiù tāmen?

The boat has sunk. Who can go and rescue them?

良性竞争能让公司不断进步。

Liángxìng jìngzhēng néng ràng gōngsī búduàn jìnbù.

Healthy competition can help a company keep improving.

苍蝇能在天花板上走。

Cāngying néng zài tiānhuābǎn shàng zǒu.

A fly can walk on the ceiling.

茶馆里能吃到什么小吃？

Cháguǎn lǐ néng chī dào shénme xiǎochī?

What snacks can you get at the teahouse?

虚心万事能成，自满十事九空

xūxīn wànshì néng chéng, zìmǎn shí shì jiǔ kōng

with humility, everything can succeed; with complacency, nine tasks in ten come to nothing

行李箱太重了，你能帮我吗？

Xínglixiāng tài zhòngle, nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?

My suitcase is too heavy. Can you help me?

要多少钱才能赎他出来？

Yào duōshǎo qián cái néng shú tā chūlái?

How much money would it take to ransom him?

要很长的时间才能恢复吗？

Yào hěn cháng de shíjiān cái néng huīfù ma?

Will it take long to recover?

要是你能在那里就好了。

Yàoshi nǐ néng zài nàli jiù hǎole.

I wish you could have been there.

要是我们早十分钟到的话，我们就能赶上飞机了。

Yàoshi wǒmen zǎo shí fēnzhōng dào dehuà, wǒmen jiù néng gǎnshàng fēijī le.

If we'd arrived ten minutes earlier, we would've made it onto the plane.

要是能去日本就好了。

Yàoshi néng qù Rìběn jiù hǎole.

I wish I could go to Japan.

见能人，不可失之交臂

jiàn néng rén, bùkě shīzhījiāobì

on meeting a capable person, don't let him slip past arm to arm

认识偏旁能帮你猜出字的意思。

Rènshi piānpáng néng bāng nǐ cāi chū zì de yìsi.

Knowing the components can help you guess what a character means.

让我们知道你是否能来。

Ràng wǒmen zhīdào nǐ shìfǒu néng lái.

Let us know whether you can come.

诚可惊神，孝能感天

chéng kě jīng shén, xiào néng gǎn tiān

Sincerity can startle the gods; filial piety can move heaven

诚心能叫石头落泪，实意能叫枯木发芽

chéngxīn néng jiào shítou luòlèi, shíyì néng jiào kūmù fāyá

A sincere heart can make stones weep; genuine intent can make dead wood sprout

请告诉我怎样才能联络上他。

Qǐng gàosu wǒ zěnyàng cái néng liánluò shàng tā.

Please tell me how I can get in touch with him.

请把发票留好，回公司才能报销。

Qǐng bǎ fāpiào liú hǎo, huí gōngsī cái néng bàoxiāo.

Please keep the receipt, or you can't get reimbursed back at the company.

请解释一下怎么才能到那儿？

Qǐng jiěshì yíxià zěnme cái néng dào nàr?

Please explain how to get there.

请问你能告诉我图书馆怎么走吗？

Qǐngwèn nǐ néng gàosu wǒ túshūguǎn zěnme zǒu ma?

Can you tell me how to get to the library?

请问你能给我点事做吗？

Qǐngwèn nǐ néng gěi wǒ diǎn shì zuò ma?

Can you please give me something to do?

请问，往东南走能到车站吗？

Qǐngwèn, wǎng dōngnán zǒu néng dào chēzhàn ma?

Excuse me, can I get to the station by going southeast?

请问我们现在能走吗？

Qǐngwèn wǒmen xiànzài néng zǒu ma?

Can we go now, please?

请问，电梯能到几层？

Qǐngwèn, diàntī néng dào jǐ céng?

Excuse me, which floors does the elevator go to?

请问这附近哪里能买到爆竹？

Qǐngwèn zhè fùjìn nǎlǐ néng mǎi dào bàozhú?

Excuse me, where can I buy firecrackers around here?

读书能提高一个人的眼界吗？

Dúshū néng tígāo yí gè rén de yǎnjiè ma?

Can reading broaden a person's horizons?

谁也没能预见这场大雨。

Shéi yě méi néng yùjiàn zhè chǎng dàyǔ.

Nobody could foresee this heavy rain.

谁告诉你能来的？

Shéi gàosu nǐ néng lái de?

Who told you that you could come?

谁能做这件工作？

Shéi néng zuò zhè jiàn gōngzuò?

Who can do this work?

谁能在百米比赛中夺金呢？

Shéi néng zài bǎimǐ bǐsài zhōng duójīn ne?

Who will win gold in the hundred-metre race?

谁能说将来会发生什么呢。

Shéi néng shuō jiānglái huì fāshēng shénme ne.

Who can tell what will happen in the future?

谁能说清不同点？

Shéi néng shuō qīng bùtóng diǎn?

Who can tell the difference?

谁能赢这场比赛还说不定。

Shéi néng yíng zhè chǎng bǐsài hái shuōbúdìng.

It's still not certain who's going to win this match.

调皮的骡子能拉套

tiáopí de luózi néng lātào

A naughty mule can pull in the traces

谢谢你的好心，我自己能行。

Xièxie nǐ de hǎoxīn, wǒ zìjǐ néng xíng.

Thank you for your kindness, but I can manage myself.