can

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled k’n

US /kən/ UK /ˈkæn/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #30

Meanings

1

verb
To be able to do something.

Can you remember your fifth birthday?
2

verb
To be allowed or permitted to do something.

You can go outside and play when you have finished your homework.
3

verb
Used to make a request, often a polite one.

Can you please come over here for a moment?
4

verb
To know how to do something.

She can speak English, French, and German.
5

verb
Used to say that something is possible.

This road can get very busy during rush hour.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to be able to do something. be able to

2 verb · to be allowed or permitted... may

More dump junk sack scrap stifle

Word family

Forms canningcanscanstcouldst

Derived forms ashcancan-docan-do-nesscan-doercan-eatercan-kickingcanakincandockcanfulcanhousecankincanlike

Related forms can-cancancanobama-canobamacan

Etymology

From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence also know). Doublet of con. See also: canny, cunning.

*ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European can Middle English cann Old English *kunnan Proto-West Germanic *kunnaną Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Grammar & Function Words

# can

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** kən
**IPA (UK):** ˈkæn
**Frequency rank:** 30

## Meanings
1. To be able to do something.
2. To be allowed or permitted to do something.
3. Used to make a request, often a polite one.
4. To know how to do something.
5. Used to say that something is possible.

## Examples
- Can you remember your fifth birthday?
- You can go outside and play when you have finished your homework.
- Can you please come over here for a moment?
- She can speak English, French, and German.
- This road can get very busy during rush hour.

## Synonyms
- dump
- junk
- sack
- scrap
- stifle

## Derived Forms
- ashcan
- can-do
- can-do-ness
- can-doer
- can-eater
- can-kicking
- canakin
- candock
- canful
- canhouse
- cankin
- canlike

## Related Forms
- can-can
- cancan
- obama-can
- obamacan

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ǵneh₃-
- Root: can
- Root: cann
- Root: *kunnan
- Root: *kunnaną

## Etymology
From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence also know). Doublet of con. See also: canny, cunning.

## AI Etymology
Can comes from Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence also know). Doublet of con. See also: canny, cunning.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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