can
gb/kən/ us/kən/
A1
Anglais
~ 100
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
A1
state
1
Express ability or possibility
To be able to do something.
Schéma d’usage :
can [verb] [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'can' for future ability, but it usually refers to present general ability; 'will be able to' is used for future ability.
Synonymes
be able to (More formal or explicit way to express ability.)
Antonymes
cannot (Direct opposite meaning; expresses inability or impossibility.)
Collocations
can help
|can see
|can go
|can make
|can use
Thèmes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She can speak three languages fluently.
- You can park your car here after 6 p.m.
- I can finish the report by tomorrow if needed.
- Can you hear me clearly?
- We can visit the museum this weekend.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I can swim.
- He can run fast.
- She can play the guitar.
- We can go to the park.
- You can use my pen.
Verbe
A1
state
2
Express permission
To be allowed to do something.
Schéma d’usage :
can [verb] [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'can' for permission with 'may'; 'can' is common in everyday speech, while 'may' is more formal.
Synonymes
may ('May' is more formal and polite for permission.)
Antonymes
must not (Indicates prohibition rather than permission.)
Collocations
can enter
|can leave
|can borrow
|can stay
|can eat
Thèmes
daily life
|rules
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Exemples
- You can take photos inside the museum.
- Employees can leave early on Fridays.
- Visitors can use the free Wi-Fi in the lobby.
- Students can borrow up to five books at a time.
- You can sit wherever you like.
Exemples pédagogiques
- You can go now.
- We can eat here.
- She can use my phone.
- He can open the window.
- They can play outside.
Nom
A2
entity
3
Metal container for food/drink
A round metal container that holds food or drink.
Synonymes
tin (Informal synonym mainly used in British English for canned food container.)
Antonymes
bottle (A rigid container, often glass or plastic, not metal.)
Collocations
tin can
|soda can
|empty can
|open a can
Thèmes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He drank a can of soda during lunch.
- The soup comes in a large can.
- Please recycle your empty cans here.
- I opened a can of beans for dinner.
- They crushed the aluminum cans for recycling.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I have a can of juice.
- This is a can of soup.
- He drinks from a can.
- She opens a can of beans.
- We recycle cans.
Verbe
B1
action
4
Preserve food by sealing in cans/jars
To put food into sealed containers so it stays good for a long time.
Schéma d’usage :
to can [food]
Synonymes
preserve (Broader term that includes other methods besides sealing in cans.)
Antonymes
spoil (To become bad or rotten, opposite of preserving.)
Collocations
can vegetables
|can fruit
|home canning
Thèmes
food
|food_drink
|daily_life
Exemples
- We canned peaches from our garden last summer.
- They know how to can tomatoes at home.
- The factory cans fish for export.
- She learned how to can jam from her grandmother.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We can fruit in jars.
- They can tomatoes at home.
- He cans fish for sale.
- My mother cans vegetables.
- We can food for winter.
Verbe
informal
B2
action
5
Dismiss someone from employment
To tell someone they no longer have their job.
Schéma d’usage :
to can [someone]
Synonymes
fire ('Fire' is more neutral and widely used; 'can' is informal and slightly slangy.)
Antonymes
hire (To give someone a job, opposite of dismissing them.)
Collocations
get canned
|be canned
Thèmes
work
Exemples
- They canned the manager after poor sales results.
- He got canned for always being late.
- The company canned several employees last month.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He was canned yesterday.
- They canned her after one month.
- The boss canned him for being late.
- She got canned last week.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
can
API
GB/kən/
US/kən/
Syllabes et accentuation
can (1 syllabe)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: can
- Past: could
Famille de mots
Forms
could
verb A2
Core family
canned
adjective B1
Negative and opposite forms
cannot
modal_verb A1
can't
modal_verb A1
Advanced or less common
canning
noun B2
cannery
noun B2
can-do
adjective B2
Points clés
- Irregular past: could Verb
Expressions
can't help but
1/kˈænt hˈɛlp bˈʌt/
fixed phrase
Unable to stop oneself from doing something
Used to say you must do something because you cannot stop yourself.
Exemples
- I can't help but laugh when I hear that story.
- She can't help but notice how quiet it is.
in the can
1/ˈɪn ðə kən/
idiom
informal
Finished and ready for release or use
Used to say something like a movie or project is finished and ready to be used or shown.
Exemples
- The director announced the film is finally in the can.
- Our report is in the can and will be published next week.
kick the can down the road
1/kˈɪk ðə kən dˈaʊn ðə ɹˈoʊd/
idiom
Delay dealing with an issue or decision
To avoid dealing with a problem by putting it off until later.
Exemples
- The committee decided to kick the can down the road on budget cuts.
- They keep kicking the can down the road instead of solving the problem now.