我不会说英语
wǒ bù huì shuō yīngyǔ
The phrase "no speak english" in Chinese is expressed as 我不会说英语 (wǒ bù huì shuō yīngyǔ).
This phrase is used to inform others that the speaker does not know how to communicate in English. You may also see the phrase 不会说英文, which also means "Don't know how to speak English." Mandarin speakers use 英文 interchangeably with 英语 to refer to the English language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我不会说英语 breaks down into 我 (I), 不 (not), 会 (can/know how to), 说 (speak) and 英语 (English).
Which one should you use?
While 我不会说英语 implies a lack of ability or skill, 我不说英语 sounds more like a refusal or a statement of habit.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 会 specifically indicates a learned skill, such as speaking a language.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ bù huì shuō yīngyǔ
Did you know?
- The character 英 in 英语 originally referred to 'flower' or 'hero', but was later adopted as the phonetic choice to represent the sound of 'England'.
- In many parts of China, you might hear people say 我不懂英语, which literally translates to 'I don't understand English'. While 'understand' usually implies comprehension, here it is a common way to say you cannot speak the language at all.
- In very casual settings, a speaker might skip the subject 我 (I) entirely and simply say 不会说英语. In Chinese, if the context is clear, the subject is often omitted to be more concise.
Examples in context
- 你好Hello
- 谢谢Thank you
- 我不会说英语，请用中文和我交流。I don't know how to speak English, please communicate with me in Chinese.
- 非常抱歉，我不太会说英语。I'm very sorry, I don't know how to speak English very well.
- 不好意思，我不会讲英语。Excuse me, I don't know how to speak English.
- 哎哟，我不会说英文。Oh dear, I don't know how to speak English.
- 我不会说英语。Wǒ bú huì shuō Yīngyǔ.I cannot speak English.
- 因为我不会说英语，所以我很紧张。Yīnwèi wǒ bú huì shuō Yīngyǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ hěn jǐnzhāng.Because I cannot speak English, I am very nervous.
Example conversation
A tourist tries to talk to Wei in a park.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你好！请问最近的车站怎么走？Nǐhǎo! Qǐngwèn zuìjìn de chēzhàn zěnme zǒu?Hello! Which way is the nearest station?
- 伟 Wei对不起，我不会说英语。Duìbuqǐ, wǒ búhuì shuō Yīngyǔ.Sorry, I don't speak English.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen啊，你不会说英语吗？À, nǐ búhuì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?Oh, you don't speak English?
- 伟 Wei是的，我只说中文。Shìde, wǒ zhǐ shuō Zhōngwén.Yes, I only speak Chinese.
