Difference between revisions of "Comparing "hui," "neng," "keyi""

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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
This is one of the trickiest comparisons, as 会 (huì), 能 (néng), and 可以 (kěyǐ) are often translated as "can." Sometimes they are explained as: 会 means "know how to", 能 means "to be able to", and 可以 means "to have permission to." Actually, they overlap a little bit. In this article, we will look at their differences.
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This is one of the trickiest comparisons, as 会 (huì), 能 (néng), and 可以 (kěyǐ) are often translated as "can." Sometimes they are explained as: 会 means "know how to", 能 means "to be able to", and 可以 means "to have permission to." Actually, they overlap a little bit. To visualize the differences and similarities please refer to [http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2009/10/13/chinese-modal-verb-venn-diagram| Chinese Modal Verb Venn Diagram].  
  
== 会 can mean "know how to" ==
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==Basic Meanings==
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会 can mean "know how to" and can express an action that you had to learn or be trained in to do.
  
can express an action that you had to learn or be trained in to do.  
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能 means "to be able to" and expresses having a certain ability or having obtained a certain requirement. It can also indicate that circumstances make an action not possible, or that an action is not allowed.
 +
 
 +
可以 means "to have permission to" and expresses having another person's permission. It can be thought of in the context of "allowed or not allowed".
 +
 
 +
==Expressing Ability==
 +
Both 会 and 能  can be used to express ability in something.  
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
会 + Verb
+
/能 + Verb
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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</div>
 
</div>
  
== 会 can also mean something is going to happen ==
 
  
会 can express something in the future will happen. It is often used to express trends or possibilities.
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<div class="liju">
 
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*你 真的 <em>能</em> 吃 三 碗 米饭 吗? <span class="trans">Are you really able to eat three bowls of rice?</span>
 
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*你 <em>能</em> 记 住 所有 国家 的 名字 吗? <span class="trans">Are you able to remember the names of all countries?</span>
=== Structure ===
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*三 个 月 的 小 孩子 不 <em>能</em> 走路。 <span class="trans">Three month old children are unable to walk.</span>
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
会 + Verb
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
=== Examples ===
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
* 明天 你 <em>会</em> 来 吗? <span class="trans">Will you come tomorrow?</span>
 
* 你 太 过分 了,没 有 人 <em>会</em> 这么 做。 <span class="trans">You're too excessive, no one will do it like this.</span>
 
* 一会儿 <em>会</em> 下雨 吗? <span class="trans">Will it rain in a minute?</span>
 
</div>
 
  
== 很会 means 'to be good at"  ==
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==Expressing Permission==
  
很会 expresses being very skillful at something, or doing something very well. It can be translated as "really can", as in "you can ''really'' speak Chinese!", in other words, "you are good at speaking Chinese."
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可以 is used to ask for or give permission. However, 能 can also be used to replace 可以 interchangeably.
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
很会 + Verb
+
可以/能 + Verb
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 这 个 女 孩子 <strong>很</strong> <em>会</em> 唱歌。 <span class="trans">This girl can really sing.</span>
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*<em>可以/</em> 进来 吗? <span class="trans">Am I allowed to enter?</span>
* 我 的 妈妈 <strong>很</strong> <em>会</em> 做 饭。 <span class="trans">My mother really knows how to cook.</span>
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*<em>可以/</em> 帮 我 一下 吗? <span class="trans">Could you help me a bit?</span>  
* <strong>很</strong> <em>会</em> 骗 人。 <span class="trans">He can really deceive people.</span>
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*<em>可以/</em> 带 危险 物品 上车。 <span class="trans">You're not allowed to bring dangerous things in the car.</span>
</div>
 
  
== 能 means "to be able to"  ==
 
  
能 expresses having a certain ability or having obtained a certain requirement. It can also indicate that circumstances make an action not possible, or that an action is not allowed.
+
==Talking about the Future==
  
 +
会 can also be used to mean something is going to happen. It express something in the future will happen and is often used to express trends or possibilities.
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
+ Verb
+
+ Verb
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*你 真的 <em></em> 吃 三 碗 米饭 吗? <span class="trans">Are you really able to eat three bowls of rice?</span>
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* 明天 你 <em></em> 吗? <span class="trans">Will you come tomorrow?</span>
*你 <em></em> 记 住 所有 国家 的 名字 吗? <span class="trans">Are you able to remember the names of all countries?</span>
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* 你 太 过分 了,没 有 人 <em></em> 这么 做。 <span class="trans">You're too excessive, no one will do it like this.</span>
*三 个 月 的 小 孩子 不 <em></em> 走路。 <span class="trans">Three month old children are unable to walk.</span>
+
* 一会儿 <em></em> 下雨 吗? <span class="trans">Will it rain in a minute?</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== 可以 means "to have permission to==
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==Adding 很 to create emphasis==
 
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By placing the character 很 (hěn) before 会 or 能 it adds emphasis to the level of ability on the action present in the sentence. 很会 means 'to be good at" and expresses being very skillful at something, or doing something very well. It can be translated as "really can", as in "you can ''really'' speak Chinese!", in other words, "you are good at speaking Chinese." When 很 is placed in front of 能 the meaning takes on a amazed/surprised tone on the action. It's like the English equivalent of saying " Wow, you really can sleep!"
可以 expresses having another person's permission. It can be thought of in the context of "allowed or not allowed".
 
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
可以 + Verb
+
很会/很能 + Verb
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*<em>可以</em> 进来 吗? <span class="trans">Am I allowed to enter?</span>
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* 这 个 女 孩子 <strong>很</strong> <em></em> 唱歌。 <span class="trans">This girl can really sing.</span>
*<em>可以</em> 帮 我 一下 吗? <span class="trans">Could you help me a bit?</span>  
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* 我 的 妈妈 <strong>很</strong> <em></em> 做 饭。 <span class="trans">My mother really knows how to cook.</span>
*<em>可以</em> 带 危险 物品 上车。 <span class="trans">You're not allowed to bring dangerous things in the car.</span>
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* 他 <strong>很</strong> <em></em> 骗 人。 <span class="trans">He can really deceive people.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
 +
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
* 你 <strong>很</strong> <em>能</em> 吃 吗!<span class="expl"> The subject can eat a lot. </span> <span class="trans"> Wow, you really can eat! </span>
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* 你 <strong>很</strong> <em>能</em> 睡。<span class="expl"> The subject can sleep a lot, for many hours. </span><span class="trans"> You can really sleep. </span> </div> <span class="expl" The subject can sleep a lot, for many hours. </span>
 +
 +
</div> <
  
 
== Examples of similar expressions, but with different meanings ==
 
== Examples of similar expressions, but with different meanings ==
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==Similarities==
 
==Similarities==
  
Now that we've gone over the ways that these words are different, it's time to tell you that they do share a few  essential rules. The first common rule shared by these three is that none of them can be followed by an [[aspectual particle]].  
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会, 能, 可以 share a few  essential rules. The first common rule shared by these three is that none of them can be followed by an [[aspectual particle]].  
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">

Revision as of 09:24, 13 October 2014

This is one of the trickiest comparisons, as 会 (huì), 能 (néng), and 可以 (kěyǐ) are often translated as "can." Sometimes they are explained as: 会 means "know how to", 能 means "to be able to", and 可以 means "to have permission to." Actually, they overlap a little bit. To visualize the differences and similarities please refer to Chinese Modal Verb Venn Diagram.

Basic Meanings

会 can mean "know how to" and can express an action that you had to learn or be trained in to do.

能 means "to be able to" and expresses having a certain ability or having obtained a certain requirement. It can also indicate that circumstances make an action not possible, or that an action is not allowed.

可以 means "to have permission to" and expresses having another person's permission. It can be thought of in the context of "allowed or not allowed".

Expressing Ability

Both 会 and 能 can be used to express ability in something.

Structure

会/能 + Verb

Examples

  • 修 电脑。 He knows how to fix computers.
  • 跳舞。 I know how to dance.
  • 我 学 了 两 年 才 说 一点 汉语。 I studied for two years before I knew how to speak a little Chinese.


  • 你 真的 吃 三 碗 米饭 吗? Are you really able to eat three bowls of rice?
  • 记 住 所有 国家 的 名字 吗? Are you able to remember the names of all countries?
  • 三 个 月 的 小 孩子 不 走路。 Three month old children are unable to walk.


Expressing Permission

可以 is used to ask for or give permission. However, 能 can also be used to replace 可以 interchangeably.

Structure

可以/能 + Verb

Examples

  • 可以/能 进来 吗? Am I allowed to enter?
  • 可以/能 帮 我 一下 吗? Could you help me a bit?
  • 可以/能 带 危险 物品 上车。 You're not allowed to bring dangerous things in the car.


Talking about the Future

会 can also be used to mean something is going to happen. It express something in the future will happen and is often used to express trends or possibilities.

Structure

会 + Verb

Examples

  • 明天 你 来 吗? Will you come tomorrow?
  • 你 太 过分 了,没 有 人 这么 做。 You're too excessive, no one will do it like this.
  • 一会儿 下雨 吗? Will it rain in a minute?

Adding 很 to create emphasis

By placing the character 很 (hěn) before 会 or 能 it adds emphasis to the level of ability on the action present in the sentence. 很会 means 'to be good at" and expresses being very skillful at something, or doing something very well. It can be translated as "really can", as in "you can really speak Chinese!", in other words, "you are good at speaking Chinese." When 很 is placed in front of 能 the meaning takes on a amazed/surprised tone on the action. It's like the English equivalent of saying " Wow, you really can sleep!"

Structure

很会/很能 + Verb

Examples

  • 这 个 女 孩子 唱歌。 This girl can really sing.
  • 我 的 妈妈 做 饭。 My mother really knows how to cook.
  • 骗 人。 He can really deceive people.
  • 吃 吗! The subject can eat a lot. Wow, you really can eat!
  • 睡。 The subject can sleep a lot, for many hours. You can really sleep.
<span class="expl" The subject can sleep a lot, for many hours.

<

Examples of similar expressions, but with different meanings

  • 我 现在 跳舞 了,我 的 脚 伤 好 了。 I am able to dance now, my foot is better. (The condition changed)
  • 我 现在 跳舞 了,我 学 了 两 个 月。 I know how to dance now, I studied for two months. (It's a learned skill)
  • 我 现在 可以 跳舞 了,我 爸爸 同意 了。 I'm allowed to dance now, my dad agreed. (The dad gave permission)
  • 我 们 学 了 半 年 中文,现在 我说 一 点 中 文。 We have learned half a year of Chinese, now I know how to speak a little bit of Chinese (The speaker now knows a new language)
  • 用 中文 演讲 吗? Can you use Chinese to make a speech? (The speaker is asking if that person has the ability to)
  • 我 们 已 经 说 了 两 个 小 时 英文,现在 可 以 说 中文 吗? We have already spoken two hours of English, can we speak Chinese now? (The speaker is asking for permission)


  • 做 中国 菜。 I know how to make Chinese food.
  • 吃 辣 的 中国 菜 吗?Can you eat (do you have the ability to) eat spicy Chinese food?
  • 我 们 可以 去 吃中国 菜 吗?Can we go eat Chinese food? (Asking for permission)

Similarities

会, 能, 可以 share a few essential rules. The first common rule shared by these three is that none of them can be followed by an aspectual particle.

  • 他会做饭。
  • He knows how to eat.
  • 他会过做饭。

Secondly, 会, 能, and 可以 have to come before any prepositional phrases or descriptive adverbial modifiers in the sentence.

  • 你可以把课本再看一次,看完以后再来考试。
  • You can read over the textbook again, when you're done come back to take the test.
  • 你把课本可以再看一次, 看完以后再来考试。
  • 他们会努力地读一读。
  • They will seriously read it over.
  • 他们努力地会读一读。

Example dialog

  • A: 我 可以 和 他们 一起 踢 足球 吗? Can I play soccer with them? (Am I allowed?)
  • B: 你 的 腿 还 没 好,现在 你 不 踢。 Your foot still isn't better. You can't go right now. (His rule prohibits it)
  • A: 它 好 吗? Will it get better? (会 indicates the future)
  • B: 嗯,你 放 心 吧,很 快 就 好 的。 Yes, don't worry, it will get better soon.

For a good visualization on how these three overlap, check out the Chinese Modal Verb Venn Diagram.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

Websites