Meaning and Usage
The adjective '가능하다' means 'to be possible' or 'to be able to do something.' It is commonly used to express whether an action or situation can occur or be done.
Common Contexts
You will often hear '가능하다' in formal or polite contexts, such as business meetings, scheduling, or technical discussions. It is frequently paired with nouns like '회의' (meeting), '연결' (connection), or '해결' (solution).
Collocations and Patterns
- '가능하다' + noun: to indicate the possibility of that noun (e.g., '회의가 가능하다' - a meeting is possible)
- '가능하다' + verb stem + '-아/어야 하다': to express a necessary condition for possibility (e.g., '연결이 가능해야 한다' - connection must be possible)
- '가능해 보이다': to express that something appears possible
Register and Politeness
'가능하다' is neutral to formal and often used in polite speech. It is suitable for both spoken and written Korean.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse '가능하다' with '할 수 있다.' While both mean 'can' or 'be able to,' '가능하다' often refers to the inherent possibility or feasibility of something, whereas '할 수 있다' emphasizes the subject's ability or permission to do something. Use '가능하다' when focusing on whether something can happen or be done in general.