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可能性 (kě néng xìng) — possibility

Definition

noun
possibility

Examples

  • 可能性。
    Zhè jiàn shì de kě néng xìng hěn xiǎo.
    The possibility of this matter is very small.
  • 可能性。
    Wǒ men bù néng pái chú rèn hé kě néng xìng.
    We cannot rule out any possibility.
  • 可能性。
    Tā kǎo lǜ dào le gè zhǒng kě néng xìng.
    He took into account all kinds of possibilities.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

可能possible
可kěcan能néngable
联合Coordinate
性xìngquality

可 and 能 mean can and able, and 性 adds the sense of a quality, giving possibility.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

Grammar

Appears in
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