can
- auxiliary
- /kæn/
- She can speak three languages fluently.
Examples
-
I can swim.
-
If we work together, we can finish the project on time.
-
If you practice every day, you can improve your skills quickly.
-
We can meet at the library after school if you are free.
-
You can!
-
With enough practice, I can play the guitar well.
-
She believes that anyone can achieve their dreams with hard work.
Antonyms
Idioms
- Offensive
To attack or punish someone suddenly and violently, often for something they did
- Informal
To not recognize someone at all because you have never met them
Compounds
A small metal or plastic container that holds liquid under pressure and sprays a fine mist
- Literature
Putting off dealing with a difficult issue instead of making a decision now
A 2002 American film by Steven Spielberg starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks
- Specialized
A place on a computer where deleted files stay before they are removed for good
- Specialized
A floating marker like a metal drum that shows a channel edge or danger in the water
How Certain
Surface Forms
Etymology
Can comes from an old English verb cunnan, which meant 'to know' or 'to have skill'. So can changed from the idea 'know how' to mean 'be able' or 'it is possible', which is how we use it today.