EXPRESSING ABILITY

EXPRESSING ABILITY

Expressing a learned ability

The express a learned or acquired ability or skill, something that you know how to do or have learned how to do, use 会

Example：

你会说英文吗？我会说一点儿英文。

你会开车吗？我还不会开车呢。

Expressing an innate ability or talent

To express a skill or lantent or an innate ability, use 会. When expressing this meaning, 会 may be preceded by intensifier 很，真 or 最.

Example:

我妹妹很会跳舞。你请她跳吧。

林老师最会教汉语的。

来，干杯！我真不会喝酒。

Expressing physical ability

To express physical ability or the unobstructed ability to perform an action, use 能.

Examples:

我的身体不舒服。大夫说我不能游泳。

他一天能作十几个小时的事。

When used to express ability, 能 can be modified by intensifiers such as 很，真or 太

Example：

中国人很能吃苦。

我的女儿真能花钱。

EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY

Expressing possibility or the likelihood of the occurrence of an event, as in ‘will, could possibly’ or ‘would probably’ use 会

Example：

明天会不会下雪？天气预报说明天不会下雪。

你想我们要坐的飞机会不会误点？航空公司说我们要坐的飞机不会误点。

Expressing feasibility

可以is sometimes used to express the feasibility of an event

我们今天可以不考试吗？不行。

But the most common function of 可以is to express permission.

Describing circumstances that may influence the occurrence of an event

The specify circumstantial factors that favor or obstruct the occurrence of an event, use 能

今天我的车坏了，所以不能去接你了。