Can – Skills 会 huì

會/会 huì

會会 huì emphasizes a skill that you have learned or been trained to do. It refers to the ability to do something that has been acquired through training or education, and is often used to describe skills, such as speaking a language or playing a musical instrument. It is more like “knowing how to do something.“

我wǒ會huì開車kāichē我wǒ会huì开车kāichē
I can drive
(I know how to drive.)

我wǒ不會búhuì說shuō中文Zhōngwén我wǒ不会búhuì说shuō中文Zhōngwén
I can’t (don’t) speak Chinese.
(Because I didn’t learn it.)

我wǒ不會búhuì打dǎ籃球lánqiú我wǒ不会búhuì打dǎ篮球lánqiú
I don’t know how to play basketball.

那nà孩子háizi還hái不會búhuì走路zǒulù那nà孩子háizi还hái不会búhuì走路zǒulù
That child still can’t walk.
(Because he is too young to learn how to walk.)

你nǐ會不會huìbúhuì寫xiě你的nǐde中文zhōngwén名字míngzi？ 你nǐ会不会huìbúhuì写xiě你的nǐde中文zhōngwén名字míngzi？
Can you write your Chinese name?

他tā只zhǐ會huì抱怨bàoyuàn， 不會búhuì做事zuòshì他tā只zhǐ会huì抱怨bàoyuàn， 不会búhuì做事zuòshì
He only knows how to complain and doesn’t know how to get things done.

能 néng and 會/会 huì

Both 能 néng and 會会 huì can be used to express “be good at something” in Chinese. When using these terms in this context, it is common to use an adverb before the verb to indicate the degree of proficiency.

我wǒ非常fēicháng能néng/ 會huì吃chī辣là我wǒ非常fēicháng能néng/ 会huì吃chī辣là
I can eat very spicy.

他tā很hěn能néng/ 會huì喝酒hējiǔ他tā很hěn能néng/ 会huì喝酒hējiǔ
He is really good at drinking!

• Want to know more about Chinese “can” ?