可以 — Grants or withholds leave to do something: you may, you are allowed to.

grammar → 可以

TSUMUGU · TBCL 2 (est.) · 語法

可以 grammar point · tier 1 · permission 可以 (may / be allowed to)

· kěyǐ

Grants or withholds leave to do something: you may, you are allowed to.

字源 FORM what the parts do

可 is a mouth (口) that says yes — approval; its larger job elsewhere is sound. 以 is the quiet grammar tool that hands the yes on to the verb that follows.

故事 STORY a scene to remember it by

A gate stands open and the yes waves you through; put 不 in front and the same gate swings shut.

字源記憶法

框 · Frame

[subj] (不) 可以 [verb phrase]

觸 · Trigger

You want to give, ask for, or refuse leave to do something.

序 · The move

1name who is being granted leave

2可以 to grant, 不可以 to withholdis this about leave, not raw ability?

3the verb phrase the leave coverswould 能 fit better here (skill / circumstance)?

例 · Examples

1上課in class不可以吃東西eat things。

You may not eat in class.

界 · Boundary

能

可以 is leave granted by rules or a person (you are allowed); 能 is ability or circumstance making it possible (you are capable / it works out). Refusing leave is 不可以; lacking ability is 不能.

ability for permission: 我不能進去 (I'm unable to enter) → 我不可以進去 (I'm not allowed in)

negating with 沒: 沒可以 → 不可以

stranding it: 可以嗎你 → 你可以嗎

English 'can' covers both permission and ability, so learners reach for one word where Mandarin splits 可以 (leave) from 能 (ability).

族 · Family

可may, be allowed to. The bare single-character form belongs to formal and written register, and most often appears negated as 不可 (may not, must not).可can be done, is -able.可Bare 可 set straight before a verb in written register: doing the fronted thing serves to bring about the good outcome; the compressed, formal form of 可以.可Set 可 before the predicate to press the speaker's commitment onto the whole assertion, marking the claim as one to take seriously and weighting it above a flat report; often rides a sentence-final 了.可以someone permits it or the rules leave it open. Negated (不可以), permission is withheld.可以it can serve to, it does you good.