Hanzi Writer

How to Write 能 (néng) — Meaning “can; be able to; ability; energy”

néng HSK Level 1 10 strokes Radical: ⺼

能 (néng) means "can; be able to; ability; energy" in Chinese. It has 10 strokes with the radical ⺼, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 96% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 可能 (kě néng), 能力 (néng lì), 能够 (néng gòu).

Due to its 10 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 能 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 能 - néng

Practice Writing 能 (néng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 能 with real-time feedback.

App Store ▶ Google Play

How to Write 能

The character 能 (néng) is written with 10 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical ⺼ is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does néng (能) Mean in Chinese?

能 means can; be able to; ability; energy.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 能 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character能
Pinyinnéng (neng)
Meaningcan; be able to; ability; energy
Strokes10
Radical⺼
HSK Level1
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 能

Originally a pictograph of a bear (熊), depicting a powerful animal with a sturdy body and claws. The character was later borrowed to mean 'ability' or 'can' because bears are seen as strong and capable. The modern form retains the 'meat' radical (⺼) on the left, with two 'spoon'-like components (匕) on the right, possibly stylized remnants of the bear's limbs.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a bear with a meaty body (⺼) and two strong paws (the two 匕 shapes) flexing to show it 'can' do anything.

Common Words with 能

可能 kě néng
possible; maybe
能力 néng lì
ability; capability
能够 néng gòu
can; be able to

Example Sentences

明天可能会下雨。

míng tiān kě néng huì xià yǔ

It might rain tomorrow.

他的汉语能力很强。

tā de hàn yǔ néng lì hěn qiáng

His Chinese ability is very strong.

我能够自己去学校。

wǒ néng gòu zì jǐ qù xué xiào

I can go to school by myself.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
能 (current) néng 10 ⺼
股 gǔ 8 ⺼
肥 féi 8 ⺼
肩 jiān 8 ⺼
Stroke order practice for 能 - néng

Practice Writing 能 (néng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 能 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 能

能 originally depicted a bear, an animal known for strength, which evolved to mean 'ability' or 'can'. Its components include 厶 (private), 匕 (spoon), and 月 (meat radical), but the overall shape represents a powerful creature's body.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical ⺼

㐆yǐn肝gān肠cháng股gǔ肥féi肩jiān肯kěn肺fèi肾shèn肿zhǒng

Other 10-Stroke Characters

㢆chán㼌yǔ䍃yóu丵zhuó乘chéng/shèng亳bó俯fǔ俱jù俳pái俸fèng