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

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Ability, acquired skill, required by learning
 
Ability, acquired skill, required by learning
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*我妈妈真会做饭。- My mum really knows how to cook.
+
*我妈妈真会做饭。
*他会说汉语。- He can speak chinese.
+
*他会说汉语。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
  
 
Possibility in general
 
Possibility in general
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*春节的时候,大家都会吃饺子。During the spring festival, everybody would be eating dumplings.
+
*春节的时候,大家都会吃饺子。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
  
 
Future
 
Future
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*他不会来。- He will not come.
+
*他不会来。
*明年一定会很顺利。- Next year will be succesfull.
+
*明年一定会很顺利。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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==== Negative sentences ====
 
==== Negative sentences ====
 
  
 
I do not know how to
 
I do not know how to
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*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)
+
*我不会喝酒。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Physical ability, skill, inborn ability,  
 
Physical ability, skill, inborn ability,  
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*她能把桌子搬到他办公室里。- He can move his table to his office.
+
*她能把桌子搬到他办公室里。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<ul>
 
<ul>
<li class="o"> 他的手受伤了,不能打篮球。- He hurt his hand, he can not play basketball. </li>
+
<li class="o"> 他的手受伤了,不能打篮球。</li>
 
<li class="x"> 他的手受伤了,不可以打篮球。</li>
 
<li class="x"> 他的手受伤了,不可以打篮球。</li>
<li class="o"> - 他的手好了,能打篮球了。- His hand is OK now, he can play basketball again. </li>
+
<li class="o"> - 他的手好了,能打篮球了。</li>
 
<li class="x"> - 他的手好了,会打篮球了。</li>
 
<li class="x"> - 他的手好了,会打篮球了。</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*明天晚上你能来吗? - Will you be able to come tomorrow evening?
+
*明天晚上你能来吗?
*对不起,我现在不能过去。- I am sorry, I can not come now.
+
*对不起,我现在不能过去。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*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.
+
*她到底爱不爱你,我不能告诉你。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*她已经四岁,可以开始学英语。- She is already fout years old, she can start to learn english.
+
*她已经四岁,可以开始学英语。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*我妈妈说我可以嫁给你。- My mum says, I can marry you.
+
*我妈妈说我可以嫁给你。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*学习外语可以扩大你的视野。- Studing foreign languages can expand you horizons.
+
*学习外语可以扩大你的视野。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*你太年轻,你不可以喝酒。- You are too young, you can not drink alcohol.
+
*你太年轻,你不可以喝酒。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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</dev>
 
</dev>
 
  
 
Only 能,可以 can express a certain level of efficiency
 
Only 能,可以 can express a certain level of efficiency
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*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)
+
*他很会吃,你想知道哪里有好吃的,他就知道在哪儿可以买到。(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)
+
*他很能吃,给他10碗米饭吃,也吃不饱。(can eat a lot)
  
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 06:47, 31 May 2012

Meanings in General

Positive sentences

Ability, acquired skill, required by learning

  • 我妈妈真会做饭。
  • 他会说汉语。

Possibility in general

  • 春节的时候,大家都会吃饺子。

Future

  • 他不会来。
  • 明年一定会很顺利。


Negative sentences

I do not know how to

  • 我不会喝酒。


Positive sentences

Physical ability, skill, inborn ability,

  • 她能把桌子搬到他办公室里。

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。
  • 他的手受伤了,不可以打篮球。
  • - 他的手好了,能打篮球了。
  • - 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?
  • 对不起,我现在不能过去。

Negative sentences

Can not

  • 她到底爱不爱你,我不能告诉你。

可以

Positive sentences

Physical ability, knowladge base ability

  • 她已经四岁,可以开始学英语。

Permision

  • 我妈妈说我可以嫁给你。

Can - something can be possibly caused as a result

  • 学习外语可以扩大你的视野。


Negative sentences

Prohibition, not allowed

  • 你太年轻,你不可以喝酒。

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?

</dev>

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

</dev>

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。(Skillful)
  • 他很能吃,给他10碗米饭吃,也吃不饱。(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