Difference between revisions of "Hui, neng, and keyi"

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Ability, acquired skill, required by learning
 
Ability, acquired skill, required by learning
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Possibility in general
 
Possibility in general
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Future
 
Future
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==== Negative sentences ====
 
==== Negative sentences ====
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I do not know how to
 
I do not know how to
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=== 能 ===
 
=== 能 ===
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Physical ability, skill, inborn ability,  
 
Physical ability, skill, inborn ability,  
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明天晚上你能来吗? - Will you be able to come tomorrow evening?
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*明天晚上你能来吗? - Will you be able to come tomorrow evening?
对不起,我现在不能过去。- I am sorry, I can not come now.
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*对不起,我现在不能过去。- I am sorry, I can not come now.
  
 
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她到底爱不爱你,我不能告诉你。- If she loves you or doesn’t, I really can not tell you.
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*她到底爱不爱你,我不能告诉你。- If she loves you or doesn’t, I really can not tell you.
  
 
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她已经四岁,可以开始学英语。- She is already fout years old, she can start to learn english.  
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*她已经四岁,可以开始学英语。- She is already fout years old, she can start to learn english.  
  
 
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我妈妈说我可以嫁给你。- My mum says, I can marry you.
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*我妈妈说我可以嫁给你。- My mum says, I can marry you.
  
 
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学习外语可以扩大你的视野。- Studing foreign languages can expand you horizons.  
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*学习外语可以扩大你的视野。- Studing foreign languages can expand you horizons.  
  
 
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你太年轻,你不可以喝酒。- You are too young, you can not drink alcohol.
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*你太年轻,你不可以喝酒。- You are too young, you can not drink alcohol.
  
 
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他很会吃,你想知道哪里有好吃的,他就知道在哪儿可以买到。- He knows how to eat, you want to eat something delicious, he will know where to buy it. (Skillful)
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*他很会吃,你想知道哪里有好吃的,他就知道在哪儿可以买到。- He knows how to eat, you want to eat something delicious, he will know where to buy it. (Skillful)
他很能吃,给他10碗米饭吃,也吃不饱。- He really can eat, you can give him 10 bowls of rice, but ho will still not be full. (can eat a lot)
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*他很能吃,给他10碗米饭吃,也吃不饱。- He really can eat, you can give him 10 bowls of rice, but ho will still not be full. (can eat a lot)
  
 
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Question:
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*Question:
你明天会来吗?(不是“回来”,是“会来”)
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*你明天会来吗?(不是“回来”,是“会来”)
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Revision as of 06:42, 31 May 2012

Meanings in General

Positive sentences

Ability, acquired skill, required by learning


  • 我妈妈真会做饭。- My mum really knows how to cook.
  • 他会说汉语。- He can speak chinese.


Possibility in general


  • 春节的时候,大家都会吃饺子。During the spring festival, everybody would be eating dumplings.


Future


  • 他不会来。- He will not come.
  • 明年一定会很顺利。- Next year will be succesfull.


Negative sentences

I do not know how to


  • 我不会喝酒。 - I do not know how to drink (Used as only “acceptable” reason why to say no to an invitation for a drink)


Positive sentences

Physical ability, skill, inborn ability,


  • 她能把桌子搬到他办公室里。- He can move his table to his office.

Loose or regain certain ability (It is not possible to use 会 or 可以 in this sentence)

  • 他的手受伤了,不能打篮球。- He hurt his hand, he can not play basketball.
  • 他的手受伤了,不可以打篮球。
  • - 他的手好了,能打篮球了。- His hand is OK now, he can play basketball again.
  • - 他的手好了,会打篮球了。

Expressing possibility (in sense of something permitted by objective conditions)

  • 明天晚上你能来吗? - Will you be able to come tomorrow evening?
  • 对不起,我现在不能过去。- I am sorry, I can not come now.

Negative sentences

Can not

  • 她到底爱不爱你,我不能告诉你。- If she loves you or doesn’t, I really can not tell you.

可以

Positive sentences

Physical ability, knowladge base ability

  • 她已经四岁,可以开始学英语。- She is already fout years old, she can start to learn english.

Permision

  • 我妈妈说我可以嫁给你。- My mum says, I can marry you.

Can - something can be possibly caused as a result

  • 学习外语可以扩大你的视野。- Studing foreign languages can expand you horizons.


Negative sentences

Prohibition, not allowed

  • 你太年轻,你不可以喝酒。- You are too young, you can not drink alcohol.

Main differences

会 - can be used also as a verb by itself, others can not:

  • 这样做,我不会。
  • 我样做,我不能。
  • 这样做,我不可以。

会 - can be followed also by complement or object, others can not:

  • 你会什么?
  • 你能什么?
  • 你可以什么?

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Only 能,可以 can express a certain level of efficiency

  • 他的朋友很能吃,他一分钟能吃掉12个包子。
  • 他的朋友很能吃,他一分钟会吃掉12个包子。

可以,会 can serve also as predicade

  • 这样说也可以。
  • 他会乐器。
  • 这样说也能。

会 and 能 can be modified with intensificators

  • 他很会跳舞。
  • 他很能吃苦
  • 他很可以跳舞

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能/可以 - express possesion of skills in general/permission and prohibition. 能emphasizes ability, 可以 possibility

能/会 When they express “being good at doing something”, 会 emphasizes „skilll“, 能 emphasizes „ability“:

  • 他很会吃,你想知道哪里有好吃的,他就知道在哪儿可以买到。- He knows how to eat, you want to eat something delicious, he will know where to buy it. (Skillful)
  • 他很能吃,给他10碗米饭吃,也吃不饱。- He really can eat, you can give him 10 bowls of rice, but ho will still not be full. (can eat a lot)

Common rules

None of them can be followed by 了,着 or 过.

  • 他会做饭。
  • 他会过做饭。

We can use the modal verb solo, to answer the question, but not the lexical verb solo.

  • Question:
  • 你明天会来吗?(不是“回来”,是“会来”)
  • Answer:
  • 会!
  • 来!

Modal verbs should be used before prepositional phrases and descriptive adverbial modifiers:

  • 对 - 你应该把课本再看一次,看完以后再来考试。
  • 错 - 你把课本应该再看一次, 看完以后再来考试。
  • 对 - 他们得努力地读一读。
  • 错 - 他们努力地得读一读。

See also

Sources and further reading

Books