可能 (kě néng) means 'possible' or 'may/might' and functions both as an adjective ('It is possible') and as an adverb ('It might happen'). The character 可 (kě) means 'can' or 'may', while 能 (néng) means 'to be able to' — together, they express potentiality or uncertainty. It often appears before verbs (e.g., 可能下雨 — 'It may rain') or after subjects as a predicate (e.g., 这件事可能不对 — 'This matter may not be correct').

Unlike English 'possible', which is strictly an adjective, 可能 can directly modify verbs without needing auxiliary support, making it highly flexible in spoken and written Mandarin. It conveys moderate certainty — stronger than 也许 (maybe) but weaker than 一定 (certainly). It's commonly used in everyday conversation, news reports, and academic writing when expressing hypotheses, predictions, or cautious conclusions.