能不能

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The Chinese word 能不能 (néng bù néng) is a modal verb used to express the speaker's ability or inability to do something. It is composed of two characters: 能 (néng), which means "able" or "can", and 不能 (bù néng), which means "not able" or "cannot". The character 能 is a pictograph of a person holding a spear, symbolizing strength and ability. The character 不 is a negation particle, and the character 能 is repeated to emphasize the negative meaning. Together, the two characters form the phrase 能不能, which literally means "can or cannot" and is used to ask questions about a person's ability to do something. For example, the sentence 你能不能帮我一下？ (nǐ néng bù néng bāng wǒ yīxià?) means "Can you help me?" and the sentence 我能不能坐在这里？ (wǒ néng bù néng zuò zài zhèlǐ?) means "Can I sit here?"