can you not
(slang, informal) Used to politely or indirectly ask someone to stop doing something, conveying a hint of frustration or annoyance depending on the context.
Seen in the wild
since when can you not uninstall chrome on an android device? is that new? does google think they're microsoft desperately trying to get us to use edge?
WOAH what the heck happened here?? You said.. God beat you up??? *helps support Mike so he can sit up* A lot is broken. Can you not move anything at all??
What drink you can you not go with out?
>> How can you not move your body?
>> How can you not move your body?
Definitions
(slang, informal) Used to politely or indirectly ask someone to stop doing something, conveying a hint of frustration or annoyance depending on the context.
“WOAH what the heck happened here?? You said.. God beat you up??? *helps support Mike so he can sit up* A lot is broken. Can you not move anything at all??”
“since when can you not uninstall chrome on an android device? is that new? does google think they're microsoft desperately trying to get us to use edge?”
— Bluesky· May 2026“WOAH what the heck happened here?? You said.. God beat you up??? *helps support Mike so he can sit up* A lot is broken. Can you not move anything at all??”
— Bluesky· May 2026“What drink you can you not go with out?”
— r/AskReddit· May 2026“>> How can you not move your body?”
“>> How can you not move your body?”
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Other words near "can you not" (C)
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Semantically related
- can't74%
(slang, euphemistic) To be unwilling to; to not have the desire of; to don’t want to.
- can't70%
To be forbidden to; to be not permitted to.
- not65%
(litotes) Used to indicate the opposite or near opposite, often in a form of understatement.
- can't even64%
(slang) : to be unable to express one's feelings about an overwhelming situation.
- I can't64%
(slang, often with with) frustrating]], etc.