CGG #122: 会, 能, and 可以
💎 Chinese Grammar Gems #122
Back in Beijing after Zhangjiajie, and honestly it exceeded everything I was hoping for. The weather was cloudy and foggy the whole time, nothing like sunshine and blue skies, but it made the mountains look almost unreal, like being inside one of those traditional Chinese ink paintings. And beyond the landscape, it was the first time I’d seen my friend from Singapore in over three years, which made the whole trip feel like more than just a travel tick. I’ve started writing about it in Sunday’s comprehension worksheets if you want the details.
Now it’s already early June and I can feel the year wrapping up faster than I’d like. Two more weeks of teaching, then exams to grade, then a few weeks travelling in China before flying back to France. On top of that, the workbook launch went really well and I’m genuinely grateful for all the support, so I’ve already started writing volume 2, which means there’s a lot happening in a short window of time.
Today’s lesson is one I’ve been wanting to revisit for a while, and it actually corresponds to chapter 17 of the workbook: the difference between 会 (huì), 能 (néng), and 可以 (kěyǐ). All three translate to “can” in English, which makes them easy to mix up, but they carry genuinely different meanings in Mandarin.
💎 This Week’s Gem: 会, 能, and 可以 💎
You may remember from CGG #7 that 会 (huì) has several jobs, and that the main one is better understood as “to know how to do something” than as a flat “can.”
English leans on that one word, “can,” for several different ideas. Mandarin spreads them across three words: 会 (huì), 能 (néng), and 可以 (kěyǐ). This week is about choosing the right one.
These three overlap in places, so you won’t get every choice right on the first try, and that’s normal. The goal here is to build a clear default for each, then handle the spots where two of them seem to fit.
🧭 The Question Behind “Can”
Before you say “can” in Mandarin, decide what kind of “can” you mean. There are three:
Did you learn the skill? That points to 会.
Do your body or the circumstances allow it right now? That points to 能.
Is it permitted or acceptable? That points to 可以.
The next three sections take each word on its own. After that, you’ll look at where they overlap, which is where most of the trouble sits.
🌱 会: The Learned Skill
会 (huì) is for a skill you picked up through study or practice. It covers head skills like speaking a language and body skills like swimming or driving, all under one idea. The focus is on whether you know how to do something, not on whether you can manage it at this exact moment.
📚 Structure: [Subject] + 会 + [Verb Phrase]
Example
你会用筷子吗？
你 / 会 / 用 / 筷子 / 吗 / ？
Nǐ huì yòng kuàizi ma?
Can you use chopsticks?
you / (learned skill modal) / use / chopsticks / (question particle 吗) / ?
Another example:
我以前不会做饭，现在会了。
我 / 以前 / 不 / 会 / 做饭 / ，/ 现在 / 会 / 了 / 。
Wǒ yǐqián bú huì zuòfàn, xiànzài huì le.
I couldn’t cook before, but now I can.
I / before / not / (learned skill modal) / cook / now / (learned skill modal) / (change of state particle 了) / .
会 has a second big job, meaning “will” or “is likely to,” which we covered in CGG #7. You’ll set that aside for now and come back to it briefly when you reach the negatives.
💪 能: When the Body or the Situation Allows It
能 (néng) is about whether an action is possible right now. The thing that enables or blocks it is physical or external: your strength, your health, your free time, the weather, a dead phone battery, etc. With 会, the question was whether you ever learned the skill. With 能, the skill isn’t in doubt; the conditions are.
📚 Structure: [Subject] + 能 + [Verb Phrase]
Example
他力气很大，一个人能搬这个箱子。
他 / 力气 / 很 / 大 / ，/ 一 / 个 / 人 / 能 / 搬 / 这 / 个 / 箱子 / 。
Tā lìqì hěn dà, yí gè rén néng bān zhège xiāngzi.
He’s very strong, he can move this box on his own.
he / strength / very / big / one / (measure word 个) / person / (ability modal) / move / this / (measure word 个) / box / .
Another example:
你今天晚上能来吗？
你 / 今天 / 晚上 / 能 / 来 / 吗 / ？
Nǐ jīntiān wǎnshang néng lái ma?
Can you come tonight?
you / today / evening / (ability modal) / come / (question particle 吗) / ?
That second sentence has nothing to do with skill. You’re asking whether the other person’s evening allows it.
Compare 会开车 (huì kāichē) with 能开车 (néng kāichē). The first means you know how to drive. The second means you’re able to drive right now, perhaps because you’re sober and free.
🙋 可以: Permission and Acceptability
可以 (kěyǐ) tells the listener that something is allowed or acceptable, whether that comes from a person, a rule, or the situation. It’s the clearest word for asking permission and for granting it.
📚 Structure: [Subject] + 可以 + [Verb Phrase]
Example
老师，我可以问一个问题吗？
老师 / ，/ 我 / 可以 / 问 / 一 / 个 / 问题 / 吗 / ？
Lǎoshī, wǒ kěyǐ wèn yí gè wèntí ma?
Teacher, may I ask a question?
teacher / I / (permission modal) / ask / one / (measure word 个) / question / (question particle 吗) / ?
Another example:
这里不可以拍照。
这里 / 不 / 可以 / 拍照 / 。
Zhèlǐ bù kěyǐ pāizhào.
Photos aren’t allowed here.
here / not / (permission modal) / take photos / .
可以 can also stand on its own to mean “that works” or “okay,” as in 这个时间可以 (zhège shíjiān kěyǐ, “this time works”). That use gets its own treatment in CGG #111 and #112, so it stays out of this lesson.
🔍 Need to review a pattern?
Head to chinesegrammargems.com. Every lesson we’ve covered is searchable, organized by topic, and available as a printable PDF.
🔍 Choosing When Two of Them Fit
This is where the three words start to feel slippery, because more than one can fit the same situation. Start with a single sentence that uses all three with one verb:
Example
我会开车，可是今天喝了酒，不能开，也不可以开公司的车。
我 / 会 / 开车 / ，/ 可是 / 今天 / 喝 / 了 / 酒 / ，/ 不 / 能 / 开 / ，/ 也 / 不 / 可以 / 开 / 公司 / 的 / 车 / 。
Wǒ huì kāichē, kěshì jīntiān hē le jiǔ, bù néng kāi, yě bù kěyǐ kāi gōngsī de chē.
I know how to drive, but I drank today, so I can’t drive, and I’m also not allowed to drive the company car.
I / (learned skill modal) / drive / but / today / drink / (completed action particle 了) / alcohol / not / (ability modal) / drive / also / not / (permission modal) / drive / company / (modification particle 的) / car / .
Walk through it. The first 会 is the learned skill, which hasn’t gone anywhere. The 不能 is about the body and the situation, since the alcohol makes driving unsafe right now. The 不可以 is about permission, since company rules forbid it.
The overlap you’ll meet most often is between 能 and 可以, because both can ask for permission. Compare these:
我能坐这儿吗？(Wǒ néng zuò zhèr ma?) leans toward “is this seat free, is it doable?”
我可以坐这儿吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ zuò zhèr ma?) leans toward “do I have your permission?”
In casual speech you’ll hear both, and either is fine. When you specifically want to ask permission, 可以 is the safe and neutral choice. One small detail worth keeping: permission questions are usually answered with 可以 (kěyǐ) or 不可以 (bù kěyǐ), not with a bare 能 (néng).
🚫 The Three Ways to Say “Cannot”
The negatives follow the same logic, and they’re worth slowing down on, because 不会 (bú huì), 不能 (bù néng), and 不可以 (bù kěyǐ) each give a different reason something can’t happen.
不会 means you never learned it.
Example
我不会游泳。
我 / 不 / 会 / 游泳 / 。
Wǒ bú huì yóuyǒng.
I can’t swim.
I / not / (learned skill modal) / swim / .
不能 means your body or the circumstances block it.
Example
今天有事，我不能来。
今天 / 有事 / ，/ 我 / 不 / 能 / 来 / 。
Jīntiān yǒu shì, wǒ bù néng lái.
Something’s come up today, so I can’t come.
today / have something on / I / not / (ability modal) / come / .
不可以 means it isn’t permitted.
Example
学生不可以带手机进考场。
学生 / 不 / 可以 / 带 / 手机 / 进 / 考场 / 。
Xuéshēng bù kěyǐ dài shǒujī jìn kǎochǎng.
Students aren’t allowed to bring phones into the exam room.
student / not / (permission modal) / bring / phone / enter / exam room / .
There’s a tone difference between the last two. 不可以 sounds like a firm rule, the kind you’d read on a sign. 不能 often feels softer, because it points to circumstances rather than to someone’s authority. For that reason, native speakers often prefer 不能 in everyday polite conversation, even when a rule is really the reason. Saying 这里不能抽烟 (zhèlǐ bù néng chōuyān) feels gentler than 这里不可以抽烟 (zhèlǐ bù kěyǐ chōuyān), though both get the point across.
One last note on 不会. It can also mean “won’t” or “is unlikely to,” as in 他不会迟到的 (tā bú huì chídào de, “he won’t be late”). That’s the prediction use from CGG #7, not “doesn’t know how.” Context tells you which one is meant.
🍜 很会 and 很能
Put 很 (hěn) in front of 会 or 能 and the meaning shifts from plain ability to a judgment about someone.
他很会说话 (tā hěn huì shuōhuà) describes someone who’s good with words: tactful, smooth and persuasive. The focus falls on how well they do it, which is what makes it a compliment.
他很能吃 (tā hěn néng chī) describes someone who can put away a lot of food. That’s about capacity, not refinement.
✅ A Quick Decision Guide
When you’re not sure which “can” to use, run through this:
If the skill was learned, use 会.
If your body or the situation decides whether it’s possible, use 能.
If the question is permission or whether something is acceptable, use 可以.
When more than one seems to fit, ask what the other person most needs to know: whether you learned it, whether it’s possible right now, or whether it’s allowed.
You’ll also run into 能够 (nénggòu) in writing and formal speech. It’s a slightly more formal twin of 能, so it’s worth being able to spot it, though you don’t need to reach for it in everyday conversation.
Curious about your Mandarin mastery?
How many words, characters, or chengyu can you recognize?
📝 Recap
Using 会 (huì): The “can” for a skill you learned through study or practice, covering both head skills (like languages) and body skills (like swimming or driving). The focus is on whether you know how to do something, not on whether the moment allows it.
Using 能 (néng): The “can” for whether an action is possible right now, where the deciding factor is physical or external (your strength, health, free time, the weather). The skill isn’t in doubt here; the conditions are.
Using 可以 (kěyǐ): The “can” of permission and acceptability, whether that comes from a person, a rule, or the situation. It’s the clearest, most neutral choice for asking permission and for granting it.
Choosing between 能 and 可以: These overlap most often, since both can request permission. 能 (néng) leans toward “is this doable?” while 可以 (kěyǐ) leans toward “do I have your permission?” When you specifically want permission, 可以 is the safe pick, and permission questions are usually answered with 可以 or 不可以, not a bare 能.
Using 不会 / 不能 / 不可以: The three negatives each give a different reason something can’t happen: 不会 (bú huì) means you never learned it, 不能 (bù néng) means your body or circumstances block it, and 不可以 (bù kěyǐ) means it isn’t permitted. Note the tone: 不可以 sounds like a firm rule, while 不能 feels softer, which is why speakers often prefer it in polite everyday conversation.
Using 很会 / 很能 (hěn huì / hěn néng): Adding 很 (hěn) shifts the meaning from plain ability to a judgment about someone. 很会 describes doing something skillfully (often a compliment, like being good with words), while 很能 points to sheer capacity (like being a big eater).
Using 能够 (nénggòu): A slightly more formal twin of 能, mostly seen in writing and formal speech. Worth recognizing, though you don’t need to reach for it in casual conversation.
⛏️ Practice Makes Perfect
Now it’s time to put your new “can” skills to work! In English we lean on one little word for almost everything, but Mandarin asks you to pause and think first: is this a skill someone learned (会), something the moment makes possible (能), or a question of permission (可以)? Picking the right one for the situation is where the real fun begins. Try translating the sentences below, and pay close attention to what kind of “can” each one is really asking for.
🌱 Easy
Can you come to my place on Saturday?
The doctor said I can’t drink coffee.
I can cook a few Chinese dishes.
For Dragon Boat Festival can we go to the river to watch the dragon boats?
🌳 Advanced
After half a year of rehab, he can finally walk normally again.
In ancient times, commoners could only become officials by passing the imperial exam.
This gene technology allows doctors to detect cancer at an earlier stage.
My grandma is really good at making traditional snacks. Come Dragon Boat Festival, her zongzi never last long enough.
🌟 Practice More with Pearls of Mandarin 🌟
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That’s a wrap for today!
This weekend, look out for your PM Translation and PM Comprehension worksheets. They’ll give you the chance to apply what you’ve learned and keep improving your Mandarin skills.
Happy learning,
Pierre 🐼