Taxonomy of meanings for 能:　　

  • nài (OC: nɯɯs MC: nəi) 奴代切 去 廣韻：【技能又姓何氏姓苑云長廣人 】
  • néng (OC: nɯɯŋ MC: nəŋ) 奴登切 平 廣韻：【工善也又獸名熊屬足似鹿亦賢能也奴登切又奴代奴來二切一 】
  • be capable>ABLE
    • nabdispositioncapability; physical capability, concrete technical capability; potential, capacity 人各有能
    • vadNcapable, possessed of political clout, skilfull 能人
    • vt(+V[0])be able to perform a contexually determinate action or achieve a contextually determinate quality
    • vt[+V[0]]be capable and competent; be able to act, be in a position to act
    • vt+V[0]be physically able to; have the capacity to VERB properly, be constitutionally able to VERB; be physically capable of, be actually able to; would ever be able to
    • vt+V[0]passivebe competently mastered
    • vt+V[0]subj=nonhuman(of non-human/inanimate subjects) be able to V
    • vt+V[0]temporaryfeel able to; be (temporarily) able to
    • vtoNbe capable of N (as in 何能"what is he capable of" 能之)
    • vtoNputativeconsider as capable
    • vtoNabshow a capacity for; be capable of Nab-ing
    • vt(oN)be capable of the contextually determinate thing
    • v[adN]N=humanmen who have qualifications/abilitiesCH
    • nab(.post-N)his own abilitiesDS
    • able to do things>EXCELLENT
      • v[adN]nonreferentialthe capable, the mighty, 尊賢使能
      • vt+V[0]have a good ability to (close to 善 "excel at" in meaning)
      • vtoNhave a good capacity for dealing with
      • vt[+V[0]]be capable, have excellent talents
      • vadNcapable, competentCH
      • vtoV[0]be perfectly capable of V-ingCH
      • resultative:prove ability to>ACHIEVE
        • vt+V(0)passivebe achieved LY
        • have the necessary courage>DARE
          • vtoV[0]be able to have the audacity toCH
          • able to dominate others>POWER
            • nabdispositionpower
      • cause to become excellent>CULTIVATE
        • vtoNcause to become capable (XUN); cultivate the talents of; treat well
    • basis of ability>EXPERIENCE
      • vt(oN)be experience in a contextually determinate matter, be expert at; be proficient in
    • show similar ability>RESEMBLE
      • vadVlike this, in this way (Yuan Drama)
      • aim to>COMPETE
        • NPabactcompetition for skills
    • able to give away things>GENEROUS
      • vtoNtreat well
      • mutually generous>HARMONY
        • vtoNbe mutually generous towards, cultivate harmonious relations with (each other) 相能
    • be able to put up with>ENDURE
      • vtoNbe able to tolerate, be able to sustain, be able to live in SUWEN能冬不能夏; HANSHU 中國之人不能其水土也
      • vt+V[0]be willing to V, accept V-ingLZ
      • able to happen>POSSIBLE
        • vt+V[0]{PASS}can possibly come to be V-ed
        • vt+V[0]be posssible to VLZ
        • very possible>PROBABLE
          • vt+V[0]modalbe likely to
        • so that it becomes possible>THEN
          • vadV.postN{SUBJ}:postSthen
    • be able and willing>INTEND
      • vt+V[0]be willing to
  • nái (OC: nɯɯ MC: nəi) 奴來切 平 廣韻：【爾雅謂三足鼈也又獸名禹父所化也奴來切又奴登切二 】
  • něng (OC: nɯɯŋʔ MC: nəŋ) 奴等切 上 廣韻：【夷人語奴等切本又奴登切一 】

    Additional information about 能

    說文解字: 【能】，熊屬，足似鹿。从肉、㠯聲。能獸堅中，故稱賢能，而彊壯稱能傑也。凡能之屬皆从能。 【臣鉉等曰：非聲，疑皆象形。】 【奴登切】

      Criteria
    • LEARN

      1. The learning of propositional knowledge is wén 聞.

      2. The learning of practical knowledge is the inchoative néng 能 "come to be able to".

      3. Xué 學 is conative and means "try to learn". See STUDY.

      4. Jìn 進 is to make progress in the process of learning.

    • ABLE

      [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

      [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

      [DIFFICULT/EASY]

      [ENDOGENIC/EXOGENIC]

      [EMOTIONAL/UNEMOTIONAL]

      [INCIDENTAL/INHERENT]

      [INNATE/ACQUIRED]

      [LASTING!/TEMPORARY]

      [PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL]

      [PRACTICAL/THEORETICAL]

      1. The commonest word is néng 能 "have an inherent capacity for, have the personal ability to".

      [CURRENT], [ENDOGENIC], [GRADED], [LASTING]

      2. Kě yǐ 可以 "be in an objective position to, have the possibility to".

      [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [EXOGENIC], [TEMPORARY!]

      3. Zú yǐ 足以 emphasises sufficiency of conditions necessary to get something done.

      [CURRENT], [GRADED], [INHERENT], [PHYSICAL]

      4. Kè 克 typically comes to emphasise the ability to do something difficult in post-archaic times, but the word was equivalent to néng 能 in early texts.

      [ABSOLUTE], [ARCHAIC], [INCIDENTAL], [TEMPORARY], [PHYSICAL]

      5. Rén 任 emphasises a general qualification to achieve something worth achieving and not obviously easy to achieve.

      [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [ENDOGENIC], [TEMPORARY]

      6. Kān 堪 typically refers to the ability to do something others might not be willing or psychologically able to do.

      [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [EMOTIONAL], [ENDOGENIC], [PSYCHOLOGICAL]

      7. Jì 技 "expertise, know-how" refers to the talents for crafts and the like, and the word is not normally used as a verb. See SKILL.

      [ACQUIRED], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [GRADED], [LASTING], [PRACTICAL]

      8. Lì 力 "strength" is sometimes used to refer to an ability to do something which in some sense requires strength.

      9. Zhī 知 refers to the intellectual ability to do something, especially to do something that is not intellectually trivial.

      10. Jì néng 技能 refers to a lasting acquired skill.

      NB: Dé 得 "cope, show an ability to do something by actually doing it" is an achievement verb and does not belong in this group. See COPE.

    • ENDURE

      1. The general word is kān 堪 which refers to the ability to sustain negative experiences as well as to undertake demanding and/or dangerous tasks, and the word is especially frequent in negated form 不堪 "cannot endure; cannot manage to".

      2. Rěn 忍 refers to any callous ability to bear with something that is objectionable without interfering to stop it.

      3. Zhī 支 is occasionally used in the sense of "endure" and emphasises the strength needed to live with what one bears with.

      4. Rén 任 is not limited to putting up with undesirable conditions, it focusses on the the general ability to live gracefully burdens one is having to bear.

      5. Néng 能 is occasionally used as an ordinary transitive verb meaning "be able to put up with (climatic conditions and the like)".

    • BEAUTIFUL

      [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

      [ACOUSTIC/VISUAL]

      [ARTIFICIAL/NATURAL]

      [[COMMON/RARE]]

      [ELEVATED/VULGAR]

      [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

      [HUMAN/NON-HUMAN]

      [POETIC/PROSAIC]

      1. The general word is měi 美 "handsome and admirable" (ant. è 惡 "ugly") which refers to anything concrete or abstract which is attractive or handsome in a dignified way, and the word often retains its primary culinary sense of "tasty".

      [GENERAL], [GRADED]; [[COMMON]]

      2. Lì 麗 (ant. sù 素 "unaodorned") is often restricted to physical objects, prototypically to clothes, and emphasises their balanced symmetric beauty, occasionally also - by analogy - the well-aligned symmetric beauty of mountains.

      [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

      3. Wén 文 (ant. zhì 質 "merely material") emphasises cultivated external as well as internal elegance as well as traditionalism.

      [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

      4. Yǎ 雅 (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") emphasises primarily external elevated elegance.

      [ACOUSTIC!], [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED+], [NON-HUMAN]

      5. Hǎo 好 "comely, handsome" (ant. chǒu 醜 "ugly") refers indiscriminately to men and women, but the word is sometimes more general and even abstract in application and refers to attractive words or attractive moral qualities.

      [HUMAN!], [NATURAL], [VISUAL]

      6. Xiù 秀 "of vigorous and imposing beauty" focusses on flourishing and flamboyant beauty in analogy with that of flowers.

      [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [NON-HUMAN], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

      7. Huá 華 "of striking and colourful beauty" (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") focusses on flourishing and flamboyant superficial or only apparent beauty, on the analogy analogy with that of flowers.

      [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], NON-HUMAN], [SUPERFICIAL], [VISUAL]

      8. Zhuàng 壯 "stately" (ant. ruò 弱 "weak and unsightly") is virile beauty associated with strength and vigour. See STRONG

      [NATURAL], [MARGINAL], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

      9. Jiā 佳 "of outstanding beauty" (NB: liè 劣 "unremarkable" is the ant. of jiā 佳 "outstanding", and not in the meaning of "outstandingly beautiful") emphasises comparative beauty compared to others in the same group.

      [GRADED], [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [POETIC]

      10. Dū 都 "urbane and exquisitely beautiful" (ant. bì 鄙 "rustic and inelegant") is a highly poetic word that can only be used in elevated prose.

      [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

      11. Yán 妍 "attractive and exquisite (of humans as well as human products)" (ant. chì 蚩 "unattractive") refers to elaborate beauty. See SEXY.

      [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [HUMAN], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

      12. Xiū 脩 / 修 "refined moral beauty" refers to moral as well as physical beauty, thus coming close the Greek kalokagathia, but never approaching the latter in importance as a cultural keyword.

      <div>[ELEVATED], [ARTIFICIAL]; [[RARE]]</div><div><br></div><div>吳蓬，東方審美詞彙集萃，上海文藝出版社，2002 lists the following rough definitions of a variety of terms of aesthetic appreciation by the artist and scholar Wu Peng. Many of these terms express conventional appreciative flattery only. This list does provide one not particularly well-known artist's subjective readings of some basic terms of traditional Chinese aesthetic approbation.</div><div>勃：富有生机之突起。<br>苍：浓的，毛的，老练的。<br>沉：沉着不浮，有重量感。<br>冲：调成和淡之意向。<br>饬：整顿。<br>粗：大而不笨者。<br>淳：清，往往易薄，然而淳是清中滋润之厚。<br>醇：与淳略同，这醇是提炼后的滋润之厚。<br>绰：与"约"字合用，即舒而不纵之意。<br>澹：平静而有幽淡之趣。<br>淡：与浓艳相对。<br>宕：放荡不拘。<br>跌：往往与"宕"字合用，即是起伏明显之状。<br>端：方正而不出偏，有稳实感。<br>敦：很实在的，结实的厚。<br>繁：众而密，有生气。<br>方：与平正同义。<br>丰：饱满而充足。<br>风：审美中之"风"指的是一种气韵格调。<br>飞：大幅度的流动。<br>刚：属于阳性的，有正力的，与柔软相对。</div><div>高：俯视一切的、超然得不一般。<br>工：规矩，不潦草。<br>孤：自我独立。<br>古：旧气，更有历史的抗怀千载之迹象。<br>骨：内在的架子。<br>犷：是跟"雄悍"接近，在粗中发展开来。<br>瑰：不单调的美。<br>乖：不和顺。<br>憨：近于拙朴而敦实。<br>酣：厚润四溢。<br>豪：激动向上之貌，有气魄。<br>宏：大而有气度。<br>厚：有沉积的饱和。<br>华：明亮而艳丽。<br>环：长久圆融之境。<br>荒：与"枯简"接近，不修饰。<br>豁：与开朗接近，然比开朗明显。<br>恢：宽广有余。<br>浑：团然一气之象，有朦胧感。<br>简：经过一番整修的减少。<br>娇：美得可爱。<br>警：审美中用此警字，往往指敏锐、颖达。<br></div><div>劲：能察觉的力。<br>精：很到位。<br>隽：精致而具内涵之美。<br>娟：秀而婉丽。<br>崛：高起而突出。<br>俊：人材杰曲之美。<br>峻：山高而陡。在书画中是浓而锋利之用笔。<br>空：有灵气之空白。<br>枯：干而毛，生的萎缩，然亦是力的显露。<br>宽：大度而畅朗。<br>旷：广阔而空灵。<br>辣：是枯毛爽直的老笔触。<br>朗：明亮而豁然。<br>琅：圆而光润。<br>伦：是同类之意，带有文明意念。<br>冷：跟"淡"与"静”接近，与浓烈相对。<br>炼：精到而有功力。<br>淋：与"漓”往往合用，是无拘束的洒落。<br>流：明显的动感。<br>迈：阔而放的超势。<br>莽：宽广而繁密的，朴直奔放的。<br>袤：与"古"字合用，即悠长久远之趣。<br>茂：有生气的繁密。<br>媚：柔美之趣。<br>宓：安而静。<br>明：清晰有亮度。<br>凝：浓重而不流动。<br>懦：毫无火气之柔软。<br>平：一般的，接近于稳。<br>朴：原始状态，形象较准。<br>嫖：与"姚"字合用，即动疾之状，而有气势。<br>奇：不一般。<br>气：生发的，迎面直扑而来的感觉。<br>清：是混的相对。其间透出一股朗气。<br>峭：山之直而险，在书画中是露锋的侧锋用笔，有明显露<br>尖状态。文章中之峭，是意气直逼。<br>遒：婉转有致，内力强劲。<br>虬：与遒类似，但动感较强，弯曲而有力度。<br>意：诚实谨慎。<br>儒：代表文人之书卷气。<br>洒：散落无拘束。<br>赡：富有与丰实。若与"疏”、"逸”组合即成"澹”或"安"之义。</div><div>骚：审美中之骚字，可引伸为风骚至风流感。<br>韶：美丽有光泽。<br>涩：在不爽快的进程中，流露出内力之美。<br>深：不是浮面的。<br>神：精与气合。高端的。<br>生：不成熟，但比成熟有味。<br>肆：任意放纵。<br>松：松是灵活自然，是一切技巧之本要。<br>瘦：与粗笨相对，在审美中的"瘦"，是指细长而精练。<br>疏：一种稀少秀朗之美。<br>肃：有立即静穆下来之势。<br>率：与潦草随便有别，爽快而直接。<br>邃：深远而悠久。<br>阅：通达之意。<br>给：与"宕"合用，是安详舒放之趣。<br>天:很自然，一片天箱之"天"。<br>恬：安静而坦然。<br>挺：直而有生气。<br>婉：柔和而曲折。<br>温：是一种暖调与缓和的综合。</div><div>巍：往往与"峨"合用，是高大厚实之趣。<br>洗：与"炼”合用，即是"精炼"之意，凡物之洁出于洗。<br>犀：与"利"字合用，即坚利。<br>熙：光明，和乐。<br>细：指细而不纤。<br>娴：文静而雅致。<br>闲：一种高雅的自由。<br>萧：疏少有致。<br>潇：散朗而润泽。<br>馨：很醇厚的香气。<br>篁："篁古”是悠远辽阔之意。<br>雄：强大，有力度，有霸气。<br>秀：灵巧的，有生气的，美好的显露。<br>虚：表象空，但并非真空。<br>雅：文气而不俗。<br>妍：鲜美而柔性。<br>严：认真，不马虎。<br>淹：一种浸沉与精深明达之境。<br>野：超脱、不规范。<br>冶：经过一番精致修饰。<br>逸：悠闲的起伏。</div><div>意：精神倾向。<br>莹：透明而幽亮。<br>雍：往往与“容"字合用，有和顺之貌。<br>幽：静而深。<br>腴：肥润而饱和。<br>郁：厚积而有生气。<br>纤：与"迥"字合用，即弯环回绕之趣。<br>遹：与"瑰"字合用，即纤迥美丽之趣。<br>渊：往往与"懿"合用，是深润而悠美之趣。<br>圆：接近于饱满润滑。<br>蕴：与"藉"合用，即内涵丰富。<br>韵：一种余味不尽之趣。<br>恣：放纵的，无拘束的。<br>滋：湿润感。<br>自：出于本性的流露。<br>质：本体的，实在的。<br>纵：放逸无拘之状。<br>拙：接近朴，形不准。<br>庄：端正之貌。<br>卓：与“荤"合用，是突出明显之状。<br></div><div><br></div><br>

    • ACHIEVE

      [EASY/DIFFICULT]

      [EXPECTED/UNEXPECTED]

      [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

      [IMPORTANT/UNIMPORTANT]

      [LARGE-SCALE/SMALL-SCALE]

      [MEDIOCRE/ STANDARD/PERFECT]

      [NOUN/VERB]

      [TRANSIENT/LASTING]

      1. The current general word for successful action on one's own behalf or on someone else's behalf is chéng 成 (ant. bài 敗 "fail to achieve; botch up").

      [GENERAL], [LARGE-SCALE]; [VERB]

      2 The current general word for successfully completed action on one's own behalf or in one's own interest is dé 得 "manage to" (ant. shī 失 "fail in, get wrong" and ant.* bù néng 不能 "not manage to").

      [DIFFICULT], [SELFISH], [STANDARD]; [VERB]

      3. Zhì 至 refers to successful action on one's own behalf on a very high level.

      [DIFFICULT], [PERFECT], [SELFISH]; [VERB]

      4. Zhì 致 refers specifically to remarkable successful action, typically on others' behalf.

      [ALTRUISTIC], [DIFFICULT]; [VERB]

      5. Lì 立 refers to successful action resulting in a lasting objective result of one's efforts.

      [ALTRUISTIC], [LARGE-SCALE]; [VERB]

      6. Suì 遂 refers to eventual successful completion of something one has planned.

      [EXPECTED]; [VERB]

      7. Gōng 功 refers to the achievement of something regarded as important to others. See MERIT.

      [ALTRUISTIC], [IMPORTANT]; [NOUN]

      8. Gōng jì 功跡 refers to achievements as leaving a lasting trace on the future.

    • REGRET

      1. The current general word for regret of one's actions is huǐ 悔, whereas the current general word for regretting past experience is hèn 恨.　LH: 鳥與人異，謂之能悔。

      2. Jiù 疚 refers to specifically moral regret.

      3. Xí 惜 refers to emotional and sentimental regret.

      Word relations
    • Result: (ABLE)學/LEARN Xué 學 is conative and means "try to learn". See STUDY.
    • Result: (ABLE)學/STUDY The dominant word is xué 學 (ant. jiào 教 "train teach")which refers primarily to studying or training under another person, and secondarily to the learning by heart texts. Very often, the word retains a tinge of immitation.
    • Ant: (ABLE)恆 / 恆恒/ORDINARY
    • Object: (EXCELLENT)使/EMPLOY Shǐ 使 refers to employing someone in a certain mission or for a certain task.
    • Object: (ABLE)量/MEASURE
    • Contrast: (ABLE)得/ABLE
    • Contrast: (ABLE)才 / 材/TALENT The standard word for an unusual promising ability to perform important future tasks of any kind is cái 才／材, and the talents referred to by this word do not need to be of a "higher" kind.
    • Contrast: (EXCELLENT)賢/EXCELLENT
    • Assoc: (ABLE)才 / 材/TALENT The standard word for an unusual promising ability to perform important future tasks of any kind is cái 才／材, and the talents referred to by this word do not need to be of a "higher" kind.
    • Assoc: (ABLE)技/ABLE Jì 技 "expertise, know-how" refers to the talents for crafts and the like, and the word is not normally used as a verb. See SKILL. GRADED, CURRENT, DIFFICULT, ACQUIRED, LASTING, PSYCHOLOGICAL, PRACTICAL.
    • Assoc: (ABLE)技/ABLE Jì 技 "expertise, know-how" refers to the talents for crafts and the like, and the word is not normally used as a verb. See SKILL. GRADED, CURRENT, DIFFICULT, ACQUIRED, LASTING, PSYCHOLOGICAL, PRACTICAL.
    • Assoc: (ABLE)智 / 知/WISE The current general word for wisdom is zhì 智 (ant. yú 愚 "devoid of wisdom") and this may refer to any superior intellectual ability beyond the realm of memorisation or mundane knowledge, the quality which enables one to móu 謀 give good advice..
    • Synon: (ABLE)得/ABLE