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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing "to be able to" with 能够 (nénggòu)

    Permission & Ability

    Structure

    Subject + 能够 + Verb + Object

    Explanation

    能够 (nénggòu) is an auxiliary verb meaning "to be able to" or "to be capable of." It expresses the ability or possibility of doing something and is slightly more formal than 能 alone. For example, 能够完成 means "able to complete."

    Examples

    • 我相信你能够通过这次考试。

      Wǒ xiāngxìn nǐ nénggòu tōngguò zhè cì kǎoshì.

      I believe you can pass this exam.

    • 只要努力练习，你就能够说好中文。

      Zhǐyào nǔlì liànxí, nǐ jiù nénggòu shuō hǎo Zhōngwén.

      As long as you practice hard, you can speak Chinese well.

    • 他终于能够独立完成这个项目了。

      Tā zhōngyú nénggòu dúlì wánchéng zhège xiàngmù le.

      He is finally able to complete this project independently.

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    Expressing "to be able to" with 能够 (nénggòu) | Chinese Grammar