
In Chinese language there are 可以(ké yǐ), 能(néng) and 会(huì), they all translated to the word ‘can’ in English. However可以(ké yǐ), 能(néng) and 会(huì) have very different indication in Chinese language. In this article I will explain the difference between可以(ké yǐ), 能(néng) and 会(huì).
The character能(néng) indicates a natural or inherent ability, without external learning, or skills you are very confident of using with external learning. For example, ‘我能做作业’ (wǒ néng zuò zuò yè) which means ‘I have the ability to do the homework and confidence too’.
会(huì) on the other hand also means ‘can’, but unlike能(néng) it only suggests you have learned your ability from outside and are able to use the skill. For example, ‘我会做作业’ (wǒ huì zuò zuò yè) which means ‘I know how to do the homework’.
The last word is 可以(ké yǐ), this word suggests you have limited confidence or you are not really willing to complete the target. For example, ‘我可以做作业’ (wǒ ké yǐ zuò zuò yè) which means ‘I can do the homework’ but I am not very pleased of doing it, or I am not sure my knowledge is good enough to do it.
However when using 可以(ké yǐ), 能(néng) and 会(huì) in a question it can be tricky. Here are some examples:
‘你能做作业吗?’ (nǐ néng zuò zuò yè mā?) which means ‘Does the situation allow you to do the homework?’. This includes the environment and yourself, but does not question your skill or ability.
‘你会做作业吗?’ (nǐ huì zuò zuò yè mā?) which means ‘Do you have the skill to do the homework?’
‘你可以做作业吗?’ (nǐ ké yǐ zuò zuò yè mā?) which means ‘Are you willing to do the homework?’
Sometimes you will hear Chinese native speakers using the phrase ‘可以呀!’(ké yǐyā!) as an expression, it means the person who is using this phrase is impressed by someone’s ability of doing something.
No comments:
Post a Comment