Meaning of can in English

can

modal verb

strong /kæn/ weak /kən/ us

strong /kæn/ weak /kən/

can modal verb (ABILITY)

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to be able to:

Can you drive?

She can speak four languages.

Can you read that sign from this distance?

The doctors are doing all that they canbut she's still not breathing properly.

Do the best you can - I realize the circumstances are not ideal.

can always If the party is awfulwe can always leave (= that would be one possible solution to our problem).

"She's really furious about it." "Can you blame her (= I'm not surprised)?"

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to be able to do something

able toI wasn't able to work out what she was trying to say.
canCan you make out what she is trying to say?
be capable of (doing)You are capable of a lot more than you think you are.
know how to"Do you know how to swim?" "Of course I know how to swim."

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can do informal

used to say that you can and will do something:

"Will you mail this letter for meplease?" "Can do."

no can do informal

used to say that you cannot or will not do something:

She shook her head. "Sorryno can do (= I cannot do that)."

"I need you to pick up the kids today." "Sorryno can do (= no I can't)."

I asked for an earlier appointment but no can do.

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I don't know how he can afford a new car on his salary.
Cats can see in the dark.
The water's not deep here - lookI can touch the bottom.
I doubt whether I can finish the work on time.
Computers can perform millions of calculations every second.

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Possible and probable

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Unwilling and reluctant

can modal verb (PERMISSION)

to be allowed to:

Can I use your bike John?

You can park over there.

You can have a piece of cake after you've eaten your vegetables!

informal

sometimes used to tell someone angrily to do something:

If you carry on being horrible to your sisterSophieyou can just go to bed!

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If you finish early you can go home.
She can come whenever she likesas far as I'm concerned.
Finish up your dinner and you can have dessert.
How early can you get off this afternoon?
Anyone can go - you don't have to be invited.

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Allowing and permitting

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Giving orders & commands

can modal verb (REQUEST)

used to request something:

If you see Brettcan you tell him I'm in town next weekend?

Can you make a little less noise please? I'm trying to work.

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I can't get the cork out of the bottle - can you try?
Excuse mecan I just get past?
It's freezing in here - can I close the window?
Please can I have a go on your bike?
Andrewcan you help me install this software?

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Making appeals & requests

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can modal verb (POSSIBILITY)

used to express possibility:

You can get stamps from the local newsagents.

You can get very nasty skin diseases from bathing in dirty water.

Smoking can cause cancer.

Noise can be quite a problem when you're living in a flat.

He can be really annoying at times (= he is sometimes very annoying).

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Couples who are childless can feel excluded from the rest of society.
Children can choke on peanuts.
Clearance of a cheque can take up to a week.
You can get travel concessions if you are under 26.
Not making a will can have serious consequences for the people you might wish to benefit.

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Possible and probable

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can modal verb (OFFER)

used in polite offers of help:

Can I help you with those bags?

I'm afraid Ms Ferguson has already left the office. Can I be of any help?

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Is there anything I can do to help?
You can go instead of meif you want.
You look lost - can I help you?
What a lot of bags! Can I carry something for you?
"If you like I can do some shopping for you." "That's a very kind offer."

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Polite expressions

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Grammar

Can

Can comes first in the verb phrase (after the subject and before another verb): …

Cancould or may: typical errors

Could in the present only expresses weak possibility. Can expresses strong possibility: …

Can: forms

Can comes first in the verb phrase (after the subject and before another verb): …

Can: uses

We often use can to ask for or give permission: …

Can: past

The past of can is could: …

Can: typical errors

We write cannot as one word: …

Cancould or may?

When we talk about possibilitywe use cancould and maybut they are different in meaning. …

Possibility

When we talk about possibilitywe use cancould and maybut they are different in meaning. …

Permission

We use cancould and may to ask for permission. We use can and maybut not couldto give permission. May is less common: …

Requests

When we make requestswe can use can or could (but not may). Could is more polite than can: …

can

noun

/kæn/ us

/kæn/

can noun (CONTAINER)

A2 [ C ]

(also tin can); (UK also tin)

a closed metal container especially cylinder-shapedin which some types of drink and food are sold:

a can of soup/beans

MarielleBruno/GettyImages

[ C ]

(UK also tin)

the amount of food or drink that is contained in a can:

You'll need a can of tuna for this recipe.

[ C ]

(UK also tin)

a metal container for liquidsusually with a lid and handle:

a can of paint

See also

garbage can
jerrycan
oilcan
trash can
watering can

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Containers for liquids and gases

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Measurements of volume: informal

can noun (HEADPHONES)

cans [ plural ] slang

→ headphones :

I was wearing cans so I didn't hear anything.

can noun (PRISON)

the can [ S ] US informal

prison:

in the can He spent ten years in the can for armed robbery.

He'd already spent five years in the can for money laundering.

These are terrible people. I hope they get thrown in the can.

I wonder if they will let him retire before he goes to the can.

The perpetrators need to be sent to the can.

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Prisons & parts of prisons

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can noun (TOILET)

the can US informal

the toilet:

in the can "Where's Mike?" "He's in the can."

He's been in the can for twenty minutes.

Wait right here - I've got to go to the can.

When he gets out of the cancan you tell him I need to speak to him?

Where's the can?

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Parts of buildings: the toilet

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Idioms

can of worms

in the can

can

verb [ T ]

/kæn/ us

/kæn/

-nn-

can verb [T] (FOOD)

to put food and drink into a closed metal container without air:

He works in a factory where they can fruit.

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Preserving & storing food

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Industrial processing

can verb [T] (STOP)

mainly US informal

to stop doing something or making noise:

can it Heycan itwould you? I'm trying to sleep.

Thesaurus: synonymsantonymsand examples

to end something or cause it to end

stopStop pulling your brother's hair this instant!
quitQuit poking your sisterwill you?
haltWe halted the assembly line to check the equipment.
discontinueThe lab has discontinued this line of research due to ethical concerns.
ceaseAll operations at the company will ceaseand the assets will be auctioned off.

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Causing something to end

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(Definition of can from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

can | American Dictionary

can

noun [ C ]

/kæn/

can noun [C] (CONTAINER)

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a metal container esp. a closed cylindrical container in which food and drink are packaged:

a gas/watering can

The vending machine has soda in cans.

A can is also the amount of food or drink that a can holds:

I had a can of soup for lunch.

can

verb [ T ]

/kæn/

-nn-

can verb [T] (CONTAIN)

to preserve food by putting it into a can or into a jar (= glass container) from which the air is removed:

They can all kinds of fruit.

slang If you get cannedyou are dismissed from your job:

NoI’m not on vacation – I got canned last week.

can

modal verb

/kænkən/

present tense can | past tense could us/kʊdkəd/

can modal verb (ABLE)

to be able to:

She can speak four languages.

We’re doing the best we canbut we won’t make our deadline.

can modal verb (PERMIT)

to be allowed or to have permission:

You can park on the street.

You can do it by yourself.

Can is also used to request something:

Can you help me lift this box?

Can I have a tissue please?

Note:

Can is usually used in standard spoken English when asking for permission. It is acceptable in most forms of written Englishalthough in very formal writingsuch as official instructionsmay is often used instead: Persons under 14 unaccompanied by an adult may not enter.