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

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=== Positive sentences ===
 
=== Positive sentences ===
  
==== Ability, acquired skill, required by learning ====
+
Ability, acquired skill, required by learning
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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</div>
 
</div>
  
==== Possibility in general ====
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Possibility in general
  
 
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</div>
 
</div>
  
==== Future ====
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Future
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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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">
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=== Positive sentences ===
 
=== Positive sentences ===
  
==== Physical ability, skill, inborn ability ====
+
Physical ability, skill, inborn ability
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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</div>
 
</div>
  
==== Loose or regain certain ability ====
+
Loose or regain certain ability. It is not possible to use 会 or 可以 in this sentence.
 
 
It is not possible to use 会 or 可以 in this sentence)
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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</div>
 
</div>
  
==== Expressing possibility ====
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Expressing possibility. In sense of something permitted by objective conditions.
 
 
in sense of something permitted by objective conditions)
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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=== Negative sentences ===
 
=== Negative sentences ===
  
==== Can not ====
+
Can not
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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=== Positive sentences ===
 
=== Positive sentences ===
  
==== Physical ability, knowladge base ability ====
+
Physical ability, knowladge base ability
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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</div>
 
</div>
  
==== Permision ====
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Permision
  
 
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</div>
 
</div>
  
==== Can ====
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Can. Something can be possibly caused as a result
 
 
Something can be possibly caused as a result
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
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=== Negative sentences ===
 
=== Negative sentences ===
  
==== Prohibition, not allowed =====
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Prohibition, not allowed
  
 
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<ul>
 
<ul>
 
<li class="o"> 他很会跳舞。</li>
 
<li class="o"> 他很会跳舞。</li>
<li class"o"> 他很能吃苦 </li>
+
<li class="o"> 他很能吃苦 </li>
 
<li class="x"> 他很可以跳舞 </li>
 
<li class="x"> 他很可以跳舞 </li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>

Revision as of 07:13, 31 May 2012

会 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。


能 Meanings in General

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 Meanings in General

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?

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

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.

  • 你明天会来吗?
  • 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