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Kanji Detail for 能 - "ability, talent"

能

  • Meaning

    能 means "ability, talent." Also associated with can.

    1. Ability - Capability; skill.

    2. Talent - Natural aptitude; gift.

    3. Can - To be able to; having power.

    4. Noh - Traditional Japanese theater.

    5. Endure - To bear; to tolerate.

  • Words using 能

    • 可能 かのう Listen possible; potential; practicable
    • 機能 きのう Listen function; facility; faculty
    • 可能性 かのうせい Listen possibility; chance; likelihood
    • 能力 のうりょく Listen ability; faculty
    • 芸能 げいのう Listen public entertainment; performing arts; accomplishments
    • 不可能 ふかのう Listen impossible
    • 放射能 ほうしゃのう Listen radioactivity; radiation; radioactive material
    • 性能 せいのう Listen ability; performance; efficiency

  • Four-character idioms with 能

    • 一芸一能 いちげいいちのう Listen (excelling in) one area or skill; (being skilled or gifted in) one certain area
    • 全知全能 ぜんちぜんのう Listen omniscience and omnipotence
    • 再起不能 さいきふのう Listen being beyond recovery; having no hope of recovery
    • 帰巣本能 きそうほんのう Listen homing instinct
    • 無為無能 むいむのう Listen idle and incompetent; accomplishing nothing significant nor being capable of doing so; lacking the talent to do anything but idle away one's time
    • 良知良能 りょうちりょうのう Listen one's innate intelligence and ability

  • Tattoo check: 能

    • Verified meaning: ability, talent
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read あとう, かなえ, たくみ, ちから)
    • Also carries these associations: can

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 能

    Given names 能(あとう)Listen 能(かなえ)Listen 能(ちから)Listen 能(のう)Listen

    Surnames 能(たくみ)Listen 能(のうざき)Listen 能(のざき)Listen

  • Compare with other kanji that mean the same thing:

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    ability; talent; skill; capacity

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    to be able; can, permitted to; ability

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    surname Neng

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    can, may; capable, full of energy

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    Talent. Such as capable officials are called 能員 (capable staff). | To be competent is called 能. (Mencius) "This is not doing it. Not that one cannot." | To be compliant. Such as saying 柔遠能邇. 能 here means getting along well.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    noh(ノウ) ノウ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    ata.u(あた-う) あた-う

    yo.ku(よ-く) よ-く

  • Strokes

    tip

    10 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    肉 月 (niku・nikuzuki)

  • Related Keywords

    ability talent can effectiveness endurance endure noh skill aptitude capacity competence dexterity expertise flair gift knack know-how mastery potential power proficiency prowess strength capable

Sentences including 能

  • It is next to impossible to go to school.

  • I think it impossible for us to beat him.

  • I'm sure he is a man of ability.

  • To live without air is impossible.

  • It's almost impossible to work out this problem.

  • This plan is impossible to accomplish.

  • It is impossible to make her understand the theory.

  • There is no living on the island.

  • I think it possible for man to live on the moon.

  • He is impossible to beat.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 肉 月 (niku・nikuzuki)

See all kanji with this radical →

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