"To be able to do something" in Chinese - Lesson 19

Contents of this lesson

1. Vocabulary

2. Grammar

3. Dialogues

4. Exercises

1. Vocabulary

2. Grammar

A. "To know (to do something)" with 会 ‹ huì ›

The word 会 ‹ huì ›can be used to mean "to know how to do something" in Chinese, as part of a learned skill / acquired. It can be used as an auxiliary verb:

• 我 会 说 汉语。 ‹ Wǒ huì shuō hànyǔ. ›
  I can speak Chinese.
• 我 不会 用 筷子。 ‹ Wǒ bù huì yòng kuàizi. ›
  I do not know how to use chopsticks.

In some cases, 会 ‹ huì › may also be used directly as a verb:

• 你 会不会 汉语 ？ ‹ Nǐ huì bù huì hànyǔ? ›
  Can you speak Chinese?
• 我 会 汉语。 ‹ Wǒ huì hànyǔ. ›
  I can speak Chinese.

B. "To be able to do (sth)" and "to have the capability to (do sth)" with 能 ‹ néng ›

The Chinese word 能 ‹ néng › is often translated in French as "power." Specifically, it is used to express the capability or the feasibility.

Examples of sentences expressing the capability or inability:

• 我 能 吃 二十个饺子。 ‹ Wǒ néng chī èrshí gè jiǎozi. ›
  I am able to eat twenty dumplings.
• 我 不能 喝 十杯啤酒。 ‹ Wǒ bù néng hè shí bēi píjiǔ. ›
  Je ne suis pas capable de boire dix verres de bière.

Examples of sentences expressing possibility or impossibility:

• 他 能 教 我 用筷子。 ‹ Tā néng jiào wǒ yòng kuàizi. ›
  He can teach me how to use chopsticks.
• 我 能 买 这个 吗 ？ ‹ Wǒ néng mǎi zhège ma? ›
  Can I buy this?
• 我 不能 给 你 钱。 ‹ Wǒ bù néng gěi nǐ qián. ›
  I can not give you any money.

C. Expressing a quick action with 一下(儿) ‹ yīxià(r) ›

The Chinese word 一下(儿) ‹ yīxià(r) ›, behind a verb, can express a quick action or the casual way of performing an action.

• 请 你 等 一下。 ‹ Qǐng nǐ děng yīxiàr. ›
  Wait a bit please.
• 我 介绍 一下儿。 ‹ Wǒ jièshào yīxiàr. ›
  Let me introduce you.

D. "Almost like" with 差不多 ‹ chàbuduō ›

In Chinese 差不多 ‹ chàbuduō ›, placed after an object, can be translate as "much the same" or "almost identical to". Since it is a comparison, the sentence structure typically involves two entities / objects.

• 他 跟 中国人 差不多。 ‹ Tā gēn zhōngguórén chàbùduō. ›
  He is almost (like a) Chinese.
• 我的 电脑 和 他的 差不多。 ‹ Wǒde diànnǎo hé tāde chàbùduō. ›
  My computer and his are almost identical.

3. Dialogues

Dialogue N° 1

We do not intentionally propose a translation for this dialogue.

- 你能吃多少饺子？ ‹ Nǐ néng chī duōshǎo jiǎozi? ›
- 能吃二十个饺子。 ‹ Néng chī èrshí gè jiǎozi. ›
- 你能不能喝十杯啤酒？ ‹ Nǐ néng bù néng hē shí bēi píjiǔ? ›
- 不能。 ‹ Bù néng. ›

Dialogue N° 2

- 王丽： 请你等一下儿······大卫， 请进！ ‹ Qǐng nǐ děng yīxiàr... Qǐng jìn! ›
- 大卫： 王丽！ 你有客人啊。打扰了！ ‹ Wáng Lì! Nǐ yǒu kèrén a. Dǎrǎole! ›
- 王丽： 没关系。 我介绍一下儿， 这是我的同事马克。 ‹ Méiguānxì. Wǒ jièshào yīxiàr, zhè shì wǒ de tóngshì Mǎkè. ›
- 王丽： 马克， 这是我的朋友大卫。 ‹ Mǎkè, zhè shì wǒ de péngyǒu Dàwèi. ›
- 大卫： 很高兴认识你。 ‹ Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ. ›
- 马克： 我也很高兴认识你。 ‹ Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ. ›
- 大卫： 你也会说中文！ ‹ Nǐ yě huì shuō zhōngwén! ›
- 王丽： 马克跟中国人差不多。他会汉语，会用筷子，还能吃辣！ ‹ Mǎkè gēn zhōngguórén chàbùduō. Tā huì hànyǔ, huì yòng kuàizi, hái néng chī là! ›
- 大卫： 真的吗？我也能吃辣但是不会用筷子。你们能不能教我？ ‹ Zhēnde ma? Wǒ yě néng chī là dànshì bù huì yòng kuàizi. Nǐmen néng bù néng jiào wǒ? ›
- 马克： 没问题。 ‹ Méi wèntí. ›
- 大卫： 太好了！ ‹ Tài hǎo le! ›

Translation :

- Wang Li: Wait a bit please ... David, please, come in !
- David :Wang Li! You have a guest. Sorry for disturbing you.
- Wang Li: It doesn't matter. Let me introduce you; here is my colleague Mark. Mark, this is my friend David.
- David: Nice to meet you.
- Mark: I am pleased to meet you too.
- David: You also know to speak Chinese!
- Wang Li: Mark is almost Chinese. He can speak Chinese, know how to use chopsticks and in addition can eat spicy !
- David: Really? I can also eat spicy but I am not able to use chopsticks. Can you teach me?
- Mark: No worries.
- David: Great!

4. Exercises

From this lesson onwards, pinyin will no longer be indicated in the excercises.

A. Answer the questions:

1. 马克是谁？
2. 大卫会不会用筷子？
3. 谁能教大卫用筷子？
4. 马克会做什么？他能做什么？
5. 你呢？会做什么？能做什么？

B. Read, pronounce and translate the following text:

我是法国人，在北京学习汉语。我会开车；常常开车去学校。我不会用筷子，但是王丽的同事马克能教我；王丽今天给我介绍他。他会说法语，汉语，还会一点儿英语。