To express a learned or acquired ability or skill, something that you know how to do or have learned how to do, use the modal verb 会/會 huì.
| Q: | 你会说英文吗？ | A: | 我会说一点儿英文。 |
| 你會說英文嗎？ | 我會說一點兒英文。 | ||
| Nǐ huì shuō Yīngwén ma? | Wǒ huì shuō yīdiǎr Yīngwén. | ||
| Do you know how to speak English? | I know how to speak a little English. | ||
| Q: | 你会开车吗？ | A: | 我还不会开车呢。 |
| 你會開車嗎？ | 我還不會開車呢。 | ||
| Nǐ huì kāi chē ma? | Wǒ hái bù huì kāi chē ne. | ||
| Do you know how to drive? | I don’t know how to drive yet. |
► 12.2.1
To express a skill or talent or an innate ability, use the modal verb 会/會 huì. When expressing this meaning, 会/會 huì may be preceded by the intensifiers 很 hěn ‘very,’ 真 zhēn ‘really,’ or 最 zuì ‘the most.’
我妹妹很会跳舞。你请她跳吧。
我妹妹很會跳舞。你請她跳吧。
Wǒ mèimei hěn huì tiào wǔ. Nǐ qǐng tā tiào ba.
My little sister dances very well. Ask her to dance with you.
王教授最会教数学了。
王教授最會教數學了。
Wáng jiàoshòu zuì huì jiāo shùxué le.
Professor Wang is the best at teaching math.
| 王： | 来，干杯！ | 林： | 我真不会喝酒。 |
| 來，乾杯！ | 我真不會喝酒。 | ||
| Wáng: | Lái, gānbēi! | Lín: | Wǒ zhēn bù huì hē jiǔ. |
| Wang: | Bottoms up! | Lin: | I really can’t drink. |
To express physical ability or the unobstructed ability to perform an action, use 能 néng.
我的身体不好。大夫说我不能游泳。
我的身體不好。大夫說我不能游泳。
Wǒ de shēntǐ bù hǎo. Dàifu shuō wǒ bù néng yóu yǒng.
My health is not so good. The doctor said I cannot swim.
他一天能作十几个小时的事。
他一天能作十幾個小時的事。
Tā yītiān néng zuò shí jǐ gè xiǎoshí de shì.
He can work more than ten hours a day.
When used to express ability, 能 néng, like 会/會 huì, can be modified by intensifiers such as 很 hěn ‘very,’ 真 zhēn ‘really,’ or 太 tài ‘too.’
中国人很能吃苦。
中國人很能吃苦。
Zhōngguórén hěn néng chī kǔ.
The Chinese can endure a lot of hardship.
我的女儿真会花钱。
我的女兒真會花錢。
Wǒ de nǚ’ér zhēn huì huā qián.
My daughter can really spend money.
To express possibility or the likelihood of the occurrence of an event, as in ‘will,’ ‘could possibly,’ or ‘would probably,’ use the modal verb 会/會 huì.
| Q: | 明天会不会下雪？ | A: | 天气预报说明天不会下雪。 |
| 明天會不會下雪？ | 天氣預報說明天不會下雪。 | ||
| Míngtiān huì bù huì xià xuě? | Tiānqì yùbào shuō míngtiān bù huì xià xuě. | ||
| Is it going to snow tomorrow? | According to the weather report, it won’t snow tomorrow. |
| Q: | 你想我们要坐的飞机会不会误点？ | A: | 航空公司说，我们要坐的飞机不会误点。 |
| 你想我們要坐的飛機會不會誤點？ | 航空公司說，我們要坐的飛機不會誤點。 | ||
| Nǐ xiǎng wǒmen yào zuò de fēijī huì bù huì wùdiǎn? | Hángkōng gōngsī shuō, wǒmen yào zuò de fēijī bù huì wùdiǎn. | ||
| Do you think the plane we are going to take will be late? | The airline company says the plane we are going to take won’t be late. |
The modal 可以 kěyǐ is also sometimes used to express the feasibility of an event.
| 我们今天可以不考试吗？ | 不可以。 |
| 我們今天可以不考試嗎？ | |
| Wǒmen jīntiān kěyǐ bù kǎo shì ma? | Bù kěyǐ. |
| Can we not have a test today? | No, not possible. |
The most common function of 可以 kěyǐ is to express permission.
To specify circumstantial factors that favor or obstruct the occurrence of an event, use 能 néng.
中国孩子都能上中学吗？
中國孩子都能上中學嗎？
Zhōngguó háizi dōu néng shàng zhōngxué ma?
Can all Chinese children go to high school?
今天我的车坏了，所以不能去接你了。
今天我的車壞了，所以不能去接你了。
Jīntiān wǒ de chē huài le, suǒyǐ bù néng qù jiē nǐ le.
I can’t pick you up today because my car has broken down.