Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 能 | néng | /nɤŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nən²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 會 / 会 | huì | ||
| 能夠 / 能够 | nénggòu | ||
| 會得 / 会得 | ē-tit | Hokkien | |
| 會當 / 会当 | ē-tàng | Hokkien | |
| 會凍 / 会冻 | ē-tàng | Hokkien |
In standard Chinese, the specific word you choose depends on whether you are referring to a learned skill or a general capacity. For example, use 会 to express that one knows how to do something through learning, such as a skill or a language. Use 能 to express the general capability or possibility of an action. In colloquial speech, the word 行 can be used to mean 'can' or 'okay'.
Which one should you use?
Use 会 when 'can' refers to a skill acquired through learning, such as speaking a language or swimming. Use 能 for general ability or capability. Additionally, 能够 serves as a more formal or emphatic version of 能. In Hokkien, you may encounter 會得 / 会得, 會當 / 会当 or 會凍 / 会冻, which are all pronounced similarly as ē-tit or ē-tàng.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms 會得 / 会得, 會當 / 会当 and 會凍 / 会冻 are specific to Hokkien.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the negative 'cannot', place the particle 不 (bù) before the verb, resulting in 不能 (bùnéng).
How do you pronounce it?
néng (IPA: /nɤŋ³⁵/)
Did you know?
- In some Chinese dialects, if you ask if someone 'can' do something, you might accidentally ask if they are 'capable of freezing' if you use the wrong form.
- If you use the colloquial term 行 (xíng) to mean 'can', you are essentially telling someone that their proposal 'walks' or 'moves' forward.
- The character 会 is a phono-semantic compound where the original phonetic component was once a character meaning 'ironware'.
Examples in context
- 我明天能来。I can come tomorrow.This sentence uses 能.Tatoeba #421382 by GlossaMatik, translation #421381 by CM
- 你能潜水吗？Can you swim underwater?Tatoeba #1776712 by sadhen, translation #270907 by CK
- 你們能走嗎？Can you walk?Tatoeba #3713827 by egg0073, translation #1453950 by Spamster
- 我能做得到 (wǒ néng zuò dé dào)I can do it.
- 我可以借你的书吗？(wǒ kěyǐ jiè nǐ de shū ma?)Can I borrow your book?
- 这个计划有可能成功 (zhè ge jìhuà yǒu kěnéng chénggōng)This plan can succeed.
- 我能够帮你一起做这件事 (wǒ nénggòu bāng nǐ yìqǐ zuò zhè jiàn shì)I can help you with this.
- 你明天有空吗？行，我们去逛街吧！(nǐ míngtiān yǒu kòng ma? xíng, wǒmen qù guàngjiē ba!)Do you have time tomorrow? Sure, let's go shopping!
- 我会说中文，也会说英文。(wǒ huì shuō zhōngwén, yě huì shuō yīngwén.)I can speak Chinese and English.
- 我可以进去参观吗？(wǒ kěyǐ jìnqù cānguān ma?)Can I go inside and visit?
- 780 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie asks Zihan if she is available to join them for dinner.
- 俊杰 Junjie梓涵，你今晚能来吃饭吗？Zǐhán, nǐ jīnwǎn néng lái chīfàn ma?Zihan, can you come to dinner tonight?
- 梓涵 Zihan我今晚能去，没问题。Wǒ jīnwǎn néng qù, méi wèntí.I can go tonight, no problem.
- 俊杰 Junjie太好了，那我们晚上见。Tài hǎo le, nà wǒmen wǎnshàng jiàn.Great, then see you tonight.
- 梓涵 Zihan好的，俊杰，晚上见。Hǎo de, Jùnjié, wǎnshàng jiàn.Okay, Junjie, see you tonight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “can” translations and entries 能, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 會, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
