See can in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"forms": [
{
"form": "can",
"tags": [
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "could",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "can't",
"tags": [
"negative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "can",
"2": "could",
"3": "can't"
},
"expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
"name": "verb4"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Most birds can fly."
},
{
"text": "Can you speak English?"
},
{
"text": "I can't see it. It's too small."
},
{
"text": "\"Can you come?\" \"Yes, I think I can.\""
},
{
"text": "This is a service that anyone can easily afford."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone can do something, they are able to do it."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-oWVTMgIJ",
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You can't smoke here."
},
{
"text": "Can I go now?"
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone can do something, they are allowed to do it."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-Vz1aONgF",
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Can you open the door for me, please?"
},
{
"text": "Can I have the salt, please?"
}
],
"glosses": [
"You use can to ask somebody to do something (if you know the person well)."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-YEfflzYS",
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "It's so small that it can't be seen."
},
{
"text": "There can't be any difference."
},
{
"text": "Can the plan work?"
},
{
"text": "That can't be right."
},
{
"text": "Imagine how bad it can get."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If something can happen, it is possible."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-lEL4LrWc",
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You just can't keep smoking."
},
{
"text": "You can't think things are going to get better."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone tells you something can't happen, they think it's not a good idea."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-letW7TTT",
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I can get really busy here on weekends."
},
{
"text": "Her classes can be really interesting or really boring."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If something can happen, it happens sometimes."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-WgIbsEHn",
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "kăn",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kæn/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k{n/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kən/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k@n/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-can.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"tags": [
"auxiliary",
"modal"
],
"word": "can"
}
{
"forms": [
{
"form": "can",
"tags": [
"canonical"
]
},
{
"form": "cans",
"tags": [
"third-person",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "canned",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "canned",
"tags": [
"past",
"participle"
]
},
{
"form": "canning",
"tags": [
"present",
"participle"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "can",
"2": "n"
},
"expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
"name": "verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "We canned the peas for the winter."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone cans something, they put in a can or jar to keep for a long time."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-U-pSbOV8",
"raw_tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The idea was canned."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone cans something, they stop working on it."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-itP7dFzg",
"raw_tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"If someone gets canned they have lost their job."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-zwM2UOdT",
"raw_tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Slang",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Can it, would you? I'm trying to watch TV."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If you tell someone to can it, you want them to stop talking."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-verb-F~0v2xUn",
"raw_tags": [
"transitive",
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "kăn",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kæn/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k{n/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kən/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k@n/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-can.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"word": "can"
}
{
"forms": [
{
"form": "can",
"tags": [
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "cans",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
"name": "noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I drink cola from a can."
},
{
"text": "spaghetti hoops come in a can."
}
],
"glosses": [
"A can is a metal container, usually for holding food or drink."
],
"id": "simple-can-en-noun-EME-V1Xl",
"raw_tags": [
"countable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "kăn",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kæn/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k{n/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kən/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k@n/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-can.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"word": "can"
}
{
"forms": [
{
"form": "can",
"tags": [
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "could",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "can't",
"tags": [
"negative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "can",
"2": "could",
"3": "can't"
},
"expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
"name": "verb4"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Modal auxiliary verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Most birds can fly."
},
{
"text": "Can you speak English?"
},
{
"text": "I can't see it. It's too small."
},
{
"text": "\"Can you come?\" \"Yes, I think I can.\""
},
{
"text": "This is a service that anyone can easily afford."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone can do something, they are able to do it."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Modal auxiliary verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You can't smoke here."
},
{
"text": "Can I go now?"
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone can do something, they are allowed to do it."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Modal auxiliary verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Can you open the door for me, please?"
},
{
"text": "Can I have the salt, please?"
}
],
"glosses": [
"You use can to ask somebody to do something (if you know the person well)."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Modal auxiliary verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "It's so small that it can't be seen."
},
{
"text": "There can't be any difference."
},
{
"text": "Can the plan work?"
},
{
"text": "That can't be right."
},
{
"text": "Imagine how bad it can get."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If something can happen, it is possible."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Modal auxiliary verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You just can't keep smoking."
},
{
"text": "You can't think things are going to get better."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone tells you something can't happen, they think it's not a good idea."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Modal auxiliary verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I can get really busy here on weekends."
},
{
"text": "Her classes can be really interesting or really boring."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If something can happen, it happens sometimes."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modal"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "kăn",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kæn/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k{n/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kən/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k@n/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-can.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"tags": [
"auxiliary",
"modal"
],
"word": "can"
}
{
"forms": [
{
"form": "can",
"tags": [
"canonical"
]
},
{
"form": "cans",
"tags": [
"third-person",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "canned",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "canned",
"tags": [
"past",
"participle"
]
},
{
"form": "canning",
"tags": [
"present",
"participle"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "can",
"2": "n"
},
"expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
"name": "verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "We canned the peas for the winter."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone cans something, they put in a can or jar to keep for a long time."
],
"raw_tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The idea was canned."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If someone cans something, they stop working on it."
],
"raw_tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Transitive verbs"
],
"glosses": [
"If someone gets canned they have lost their job."
],
"raw_tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Slang",
"Transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Can it, would you? I'm trying to watch TV."
}
],
"glosses": [
"If you tell someone to can it, you want them to stop talking."
],
"raw_tags": [
"transitive",
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "kăn",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kæn/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k{n/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kən/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k@n/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-can.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"word": "can"
}
{
"forms": [
{
"form": "can",
"tags": [
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "cans",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
"name": "noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Countable nouns"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I drink cola from a can."
},
{
"text": "spaghetti hoops come in a can."
}
],
"glosses": [
"A can is a metal container, usually for holding food or drink."
],
"raw_tags": [
"countable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"enpr": "kăn",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kæn/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k{n/",
"tags": [
"stressed"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/kən/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"sampa": "/k@n/",
"tags": [
"unstressed"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-can.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"word": "can"
}
Download raw JSONL data for can meaning in English (4.5kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-29 from the simplewiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (70a4daf and 5c11237). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.