Speaking • Expressing Ideas
Expressing Ability in Mandarin Chinese — Can, Could, Know How
The three Mandarin words for "can" — 会 (huì), 能 (néng), and 可以 (kěyǐ) — are not interchangeable. 会 is for learned skills; 能 is for situational possibility or physical capability; 可以 is for permission. Getting them right is one of the most important distinctions in intermediate Mandarin.
Ability — 会, 能, 可以 (Differences Explained)
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
会 | huì | Know how to / Can (learned skill — riding a bike, speaking a language) |
我会说中文。 | wǒ huì shuō Zhōngwén. | I can speak Chinese. (I have learned to) |
能 | néng | Can / Be able to (physical or circumstantial ability) |
我现在不能来。 | wǒ xiànzài bù néng lái. | I can't come right now. (circumstances prevent it) |
可以 | kěyǐ | Can / May (permission-based ability) |
这里可以停车。 | zhèlǐ kěyǐ tíngchē. | You can park here. (it is allowed) |
你会游泳吗？ | nǐ huì yóuyǒng ma? | Can you swim? (do you know how to?) |
你能帮我吗？ | nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma? | Can you help me? (are you able to / is it possible?) |
Asking About Ability
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
你会……吗？ | nǐ huì……ma? | Do you know how to…? (learned skill) |
你能……吗？ | nǐ néng……ma? | Are you able to…? (circumstances, possibility) |
你会不会……？ | nǐ huì bu huì……? | Do you or don't you know how to…? (neutral, common) |
你开得了车吗？ | nǐ kāi de liǎo chē ma? | Are you able to drive? (potential complement form) |
你有没有……的能力？ | nǐ yǒu méiyǒu……de nénglì? | Do you have the ability to…? (formal) |
你懂不懂……？ | nǐ dǒng bu dǒng……? | Do you know / understand…? (knowledge-based ability) |
Inability Phrases
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
我不会…… | wǒ bú huì…… | I don't know how to… / I can't… (skill not learned) |
我不会开车。 | wǒ bú huì kāichē. | I can't drive. (I never learned) |
我不能…… | wǒ bù néng…… | I am unable to… / I can't… (circumstances) |
我做不到。 | wǒ zuò bú dào. | I can't do it. / I'm unable to manage it. |
不太擅长…… | bú tài shàncháng…… | Not very good at… / Not very skilled at… |
还在学习中。 | hái zài xuéxí zhōng. | Still learning. / Still in the process of learning. |
我的……还不太好。 | wǒ de……hái bú tài hǎo. | My … is not very good yet. |
Usage Notes
会 specifically means you have acquired a skill through learning or practice. 我会弹钢琴 (I can play the piano) — I learned to play. It is never about permission or circumstances. Use 会 when the ability was consciously learned.
能 is about whether circumstances allow you to do something, or whether you physically can. 我生病了，不能去 (I'm sick, I can't go). It is also used for physical capacity: 你能搬这个箱子吗？ (Are you physically able to carry this box?)
可以 is about what is allowed. 这里可以停车 (you can park here) means it is permitted. Asking 我可以进去吗？ is requesting permission to enter. When 可以 is used negatively (不可以), it is a prohibition.
A powerful Mandarin pattern inserts 得/不 between a verb and a result complement: 做得到 (can accomplish it), 做不到 (cannot accomplish it). 我听得懂 (I can understand it) vs 我听不懂 (I can't understand it). Very common in natural speech.