- pronunciation:
- kaen
- features:
- Language Note
| part of speech: |
auxiliary verb |
| inflections: |
can, could |
| definition 1: |
to have the ability to.
She can play the piano beautifully.Can you swim?I can't cook, so I eat out a lot.- similar words:
- know
|
| definition 2: |
to have the power or right to.
Only the boss can hire and fire employees. |
| definition 3: |
to have permission to.
Can I come in?You can't smoke anywhere in the hospital. |
| definition 4: |
used to express the potential for something to happen or to be as one expects.
It can snow in this area even in May.He can't be her father because he's too young. |
|
|
Nowadays, it is very common to use
can with the meaning of "to have permission to do something," but some people feel that only
may should be used for that meaning. They feel that
can should only be used to describe ability to do something. When people accept the use of both
can and
may for the meaning of permission, they agree that
may sounds more formal than
can.