Usage note
能否表示是不是可以、能不能。
néng fǒu biǎo shì shì bu shì kě yǐ 、 néng bu néng。
Whether means if it is possible or not.
Context note
能否常出现在礼貌提问和正式表达里。
néng fǒu cháng chū xiàn zài lǐ mào tí wèn hé zhèng shì biǎo dá lǐ。
Whether often appears in polite questions and formal speech.
5 examples
能否帮我？
néng fǒu bāng wǒ？
Could you help me?
能否成功？
néng fǒu chéng gōng？
Can it succeed?
我想知道能否去。
wǒ xiǎng zhī dào néng fǒu qù。
I want to know whether I can go.
请问能否再说一遍？
qǐng wèn néng fǒu zài shuō yí biàn？
May I ask whether you can say it again?
能否参加？
néng fǒu cān jiā？
Can I participate?
5 mini stories
老师问我们能否按时完成。
lǎo shī wèn wǒ men néng fǒu àn shí wán chéng。
The teacher asked whether we could finish on time.
我想知道能否明天再去。
wǒ xiǎng zhī dào néng fǒu míng tiān zài qù。
I want to know whether I can go tomorrow.
能否成功，要看我们有多认真。
néng fǒu chéng gōng， yào kàn wǒ men yǒu duō rèn zhēn。
Whether it succeeds depends on how serious we are.
请问能否借我一支笔？
qǐng wèn néng fǒu jiè wǒ yì zhī bǐ？
May I ask whether you can lend me a pen?
他在想这件事能否马上做好。
tā zài xiǎng zhè jiàn shì néng fǒu mǎ shàng zuò hǎo。
He is thinking about whether this can be done right away.
Mini dialogue
请求帮助
A
请问，你能否帮我拿一下那本书？
Qǐngwèn, nǐ néngfǒu bāng wǒ ná yīxià nà běn shū?
Excuse me, could you help me get that book?
B
当然可以，没问题。
Dāngrán kěyǐ, méi wèntí.
Of course, no problem.
询问时间
A
妈妈，我们能否下午去公园玩？
Māma, wǒmen néngfǒu xiàwǔ qù gōngyuán wán?
Mom, could we go play at the park this afternoon?
B
如果你能先写完作业，我们就能去。
Rúguǒ nǐ néng xiān xiě wán zuòyè, wǒmen jiù néng qù.
If you can finish your homework first, then we can go.
Related words and contrasts
similar
是否
shì fǒu
whether or not
是否 is a more formal way to say 'whether'.
similar
能不能
néng bù néng
can or cannot
能不能 is the spoken form of 能否.