Usage of the character 能

(slang) Something awesome is about to happen! (originally, in a Japanese space battleship anime, it meant "Danger! High energy up ahead!" — a warning to either prepare for battle or take evasive action)

yǔyánnénglì

语言能力

[語言能力]

verbal ability

zhīcuònénggǎi

知错能改

[知錯能改]

to recognize one's mistakes and be able to reform oneself (idiom)

quánzhīquánnéng

全知全能

[全知全能]

omniscient and omnipotent

néngshuōhuìdào

能说会道

[能說會道]

can talk really well (idiom); the gift of the gab

tàiyángnéngbǎn

太阳能板

[太陽能板]

solar panel

sānxiàngquánnéng

三项全能

[三項全能]

triathlon

zhízhèngnénglì

执政能力

[執政能力]

governing capacity

shèjiāocáinéng

社交才能

[社交才能]

social accomplishment

tuīxiánràngnéng

推贤让能

[推賢讓能]

to cede to the virtuous and yield to the talented (idiom)

zhìnéngshèjì

智能设计

[智能設計]

intelligent design (religion)

nánnéngkěguì

难能可贵

[難能可貴]

rare and precious
valuable
remarkable

tǎngnéngrúcǐ

倘能如此

[倘能如此]

if this can be done

qīxiàngquánnéng

七项全能

[七項全能]

heptathlon

jìngzuòbùnéng

静坐不能

[靜坐不能]

akathisia (condition of restlessness, a side-effect of neuroleptic antipsychotic drug)
unable to sit still
hyperactivity
restlessness

guāngnénghéchéng

光能合成

[光能合成]

photosynthesis

néngyuàndòngcí

能愿动词

[能願動詞]

modal verb (e.g. 肯 (kěn), 能 (néng), 會／会 (huì), 要 (yào), 該／该 (gāi), 得 (děi), 願意／愿意 (yuànyì), 可以 (kěyǐ), 可能 (kěnéng), 敢 (gǎn), 應該／应该 (yīnggāi))

débónéngxiǎn

德薄能鲜

[德薄能鮮]

little virtue and meager abilities (idiom); I'm a humble person and not much use at anything (Song writer Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修／欧阳修 ( Oūyáng Xiū))

zhìnéngzhàng'ài

智能障碍

[智能障礙]

intellectual disability
cognitive disability
learning disability
mental retardation

sùbùxiāngnéng

素不相能

[素不相能]

unable to get along (idiom)

láodòngnénglì

劳动能力

[勞動能力]

ability to work

gēnggāoxìngnéng

更高性能

[更高性能]

high performance

ràngxiányǔnéng

让贤与能

[讓賢與能]

to step aside and give a more worthy person a chance (idiom)

gāofēndīnéng

高分低能

[高分低能]

high in score but low in ability (as a result of teaching to the test)

gèjìnsuǒnéng

各尽所能

[各盡所能]

each does his utmost (idiom)
from each according to his means

néngliàngyǐnliào

能量饮料

[能量飲料]

energy drink

néngzhěduōláo

能者多劳

[能者多勞]

(idiom) it's the most capable people who do the most work (intended as consolation for the overworked, or flattery when making a request etc)

jībùxiāngnéng

积不相能

[積不相能]

(idiom) always at loggerheads; never able to agree with sb; unable to get on with sb

néngyánshànbiàn

能言善辩

[能言善辯]

glib of tongue (idiom)
eloquent

róunéngkègāng

柔能克刚

[柔能克剛]

lit. the soft can subdue the hard

shíxiàngquánnéng

十项全能

[十項全能]

decathlon

liángzhīliángnéng

良知良能

[良知良能]

instinctive understanding, esp. of ethical issues (idiom); untrained, but with an inborn sense of right and wrong
innate moral sense

wúnéngwéilì

无能为力

[無能為力]

impotent (idiom)
powerless
helpless

néngshàngnéngxià

能上能下

[能上能下]

ready to take any job, high or low

jīnqiánwànnéng

金钱万能

[金錢萬能]

money is omnipotent (idiom)
with money, you can do anything
money talks

biànxiànnénglì

变现能力

[變現能力]

liquidity; marketability

bābùnénggòu

巴不能够

[巴不能夠]

avid
eager for
longing for
to look forward to

néngxiěshànsuàn

能写善算

[能寫善算]

to be literate and numerate (idiom)

wèinéngmiǎnsú

未能免俗

[未能免俗]

unable to break the custom (idiom)
bound by conventions

réngōngzhìnéng

人工智能

[人工智能]

artificial intelligence (AI)

zhìnéngshǒujī

智能手机

[智能手機]

smartphone

néngruònéngqiáng

能弱能强

[能弱能強]

to be either weak or strong both have their purpose (idiom)

shīzhǔnéngjí

施主能级

[施主能級]

donor level (semiconductor)

shēngwùzhìnéng

生物质能

[生物質能]

biomass

néngliàngdàixiè

能量代谢

[能量代謝]

energy metabolism

zūnxiánshǐnéng

尊贤使能

[尊賢使能]

to respect talent and make use of ability (Mencius)

zuòzhèngnénglì

作证能力

[作證能力]

competence

chǔlǐnénglì

处理能力

[處理能力]

processing capability
throughput

shúnéngshēngqiǎo

熟能生巧

[熟能生巧]

with familiarity you learn the trick (idiom); practice makes perfect

néngyuánduǎnquē

能源短缺

[能源短缺]

energy shortage

rènshibùnéng

认识不能

[認識不能]

agnosia

huódòngnénglì

活动能力

[活動能力]

mobility
motility

lìsuǒnéngjí

力所能及

[力所能及]

as far as one's capabilities extend (idiom); to the best of one's ability
within one's powers

jíyǒukěnéng

极有可能

[極有可能]

extremely possible
probable

zàizhòngnénglì

载重能力

[載重能力]

weight-carrying capacity

jīngmíngnénggàn

精明能干

[精明能幹]

able and efficient

wànnéngqūchǐ

万能曲尺

[萬能曲尺]

universal bevel (to measure angles)

néngyuánwēijī

能源危机

[能源危機]

energy crisis

dùxiánjìnéng

妒贤忌能

[妒賢忌能]

to envy the virtuous and talented (idiom)

pínjiànbùnéngyí

贫贱不能移

[貧賤不能移]

not shaken by poverty
to preserve one's ambitions although destitute

Měiguó Néngyuánbù

美国能源部

[美國能源部]

US Department of Energy (DOE)

jīnqiánfēiwànnéng

金钱非万能

[金錢非萬能]

money is not omnipotent
money isn't everything
money can't buy you love

jīngshénguānnéngzhèng

精神官能症

[精神官能症]

neurosis

yuányǔyánnénglì

元语言能力

[元語言能力]

metalinguistic ability

tàiyángnéngdiànchí

太阳能电池

[太陽能電池]

solar cell

jùguāngtàiyángnéng

聚光太阳能

[聚光太陽能]

concentrating solar power (CSP)

fùguìbùnéngyín

富贵不能淫

[富貴不能淫]

not corrupted by wealth and honors

shūxiěbùnéngzhèng

书写不能症

[書寫不能症]

agraphia

píngběnnéngzuòshì

凭本能做事

[憑本能做事]

to follow one's nose

shénjīngguānnéngzhèng

神经官能症

[神經官能症]

neurosis

gāonénglièxìngzhàyào

高能烈性炸药

[高能烈性炸藥]

high explosive

yuánzǐnéngfādiànzhàn

原子能发电站

[原子能發電站]

atomic power station

fēngzhíshūchūgōngnéng

峰值输出功能

[峰值輸出功能]

peak power output (of an electrical device etc)

bóqǐgōngnéngzhàng'ài

勃起功能障碍

[勃起功能障礙]

erectile dysfunction (ED)

yǒuqiánnéngshǐguǐtuīmò

有钱能使鬼推磨

[有錢能使鬼推磨]

lit. with money, you can get a devil to turn a millstone (idiom)
fig. with money, you can get anything done; money talks

méiyǒushénmebùkěnéng

没有什么不可能

[沒有什麼不可能]

nothing is impossible
there's nothing impossible about it

ōuzhōuyuánzǐnéngliányíng

欧洲原子能联营

[歐洲原子能聯營]

Euratom

Guójì Yuánzǐnéng Jīgòu

国际原子能机构

[國際原子能機構]

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

dàzhàngfunéngqūnéngshēn

大丈夫能屈能伸

[大丈夫能屈能伸]

A leader can submit or can stand tall as required.
ready to give and take
flexible

fùnünéngdǐngbànbiāntiān

妇女能顶半边天

[婦女能頂半邊天]

Woman can hold up half the sky
fig. nowadays, women have an equal part to play in society

Zhōngguó Hénéng Zǒnggōngsī

中国核能总公司

[中國核能總公司]

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)

Huáyǔwén Nénglì Cèyàn

华语文能力测验

[華語文能力測驗]

TOCFL (Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language)

jiǎzhuàngxiàngōngnéngkàngjìn

甲状腺功能亢进

[甲狀腺功能亢進]

hyperthyroidism
abbr. to 甲亢 (jiǎkàng)

gōngnéngcígòngzhènchéngxiàngshù

功能磁共振成像术

[功能磁共振成像術]

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Dàxué Xuékē Nénglì Cèyàn

大学学科能力测验

[大學學科能力測驗]

General Scholastic Ability Test (college entrance exam in Taiwan)

gōngnéngxìngcígòngzhènchéngxiàng

功能性磁共振成像

[功能性磁共振成像]

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

jīnqiánbùnéngmǎiláixìngfú

金钱不能买来幸福

[金錢不能買來幸福]

money can't buy happiness

Rìběn Yuánzǐ Néng Yánjiūsuǒ

日本原子能研究所

[日本原子能研究所]

Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute

Bāxiānguòhǎi,gèxiǎnqínéng

八仙过海，各显其能

[八仙過海，各顯其能]

see 八仙過海，各顯神通／八仙过海，各显神通 ( Bāxiānguòhǎi,gèxiǎnshéntōng)

Zhōngguó Guójiā Yuánzǐnéng Jīgòu

中国国家原子能机构

[中國國家原子能機構]

China Atomic Energy Agency (CAEA)

shuǐnéngzàizhōu,yìnéngfùzhōu

水能载舟，亦能覆舟

[水能載舟，亦能覆舟]

lit. water may keep the boat afloat but may also sink it (proverb)
fig. the people can support a regime or overturn it
if sth is used properly, one can benefit from it, otherwise it can do harm
things can be double-edged

guò'érnénggǎi,shànmòdàyān

过而能改，善莫大焉

[過而能改，善莫大焉]

If one can change after making a mistake, there is nothing better (idiom)

bùyǐguīju,bùnéngchéngfāngyuán

不以规矩，不能成方圆

[不以規矩，不能成方圓]

without rules, nothing can be done (idiom, from Mencius); one must follow some rules

xiùcaibùchūmén,néngzhītiānxiàshì

秀才不出门，能知天下事

[秀才不出門，能知天下事]

a learned person need not leave his home to know what's going on in the world (idiom)

rénfēishēng'érzhīzhīzhě,shúnéngwúhuò

人非生而知之者，孰能无惑

[人非生而知之者，孰能無惑]

Knowledge is not innate to man, how can we overcome doubt?
We are not born with knowledge, how does one achieve maturity? (i.e. without guidance from a teacher - Tang dynasty essayist Han Yu 韓愈／韩愈 ( Hán Yù))

qiánbùshìwànnéngde,méiqiánshìwànwànbùnéngde

钱不是万能的，没钱是万万不能的

[錢不是萬能的，沒錢是萬萬不能的]

money isn't everything, but without money you can do nothing (idiom)