Mandarin Chinese reference
可以
kěyǐ
may; can; be allowed to
Verb pattern · 4 form tables
Mandarin verbs do not change for tense. These tables show aspect, negation, questions and sentence patterns. Short phrases omit the subject; full examples retain theirs.
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Aspect
Plain statement
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kěyǐmay do it |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bù kěyǐmay not do it |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kěyǐ ma?may I do it? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | kěyǐ bu kěyǐ?may I do it? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.