I can say what I can and can't do in Chinese, ask someone to say something again, and answer the teacher “right / wrong”.
What I can do: 会 and 再
What I can do: 会 and 再
This lesson is for saying what you can do in Chinese and keeping up in class.
会 (huì) — “can, know how to”, a skill you've learned: 我会说汉语。(Wǒ huì shuō Hànyǔ.) The negative is 不会 (bú huì). The question is 你会…吗？(Nǐ huì… ma?), the answer 会 / 不会.
English “I can speak Chinese” is a skill, so it's 会. 能 is for a chance: today I have time, I'm well. For the skill, say 我会说汉语 (Wǒ huì shuō Hànyǔ); 我能说汉语 (Wǒ néng shuō Hànyǔ) means “I have a chance to speak it”.
再 (zài) — “again”, about what is still to come; it goes before the verb, not at the end as in English “say it again”. So 请再说一下 (qǐng zài shuō yíxià) is “please say that again”.
对 also means “right, correct”: 对不对？(Duì bu duì?) — 对！(Duì!) / 不对。(Bú duì.) To agree that an answer is right, say 对, not 是.
汉语 is Chinese (the language), 中文 the language and its writing, 汉字 a Chinese character, 字 any written sign. 学 “to learn” and 学习 “to study”. A lesson number takes 第: 第一课 (dì-yī kè).
Common mistakes:
• ×我会汉字写。(Wǒ huì Hànzì xiě.) → 我会写汉字。(Wǒ huì xiě Hànzì.)
• ×请说再一下。(Qǐng shuō zài yíxià.) → 请再说一下。(Qǐng zài shuō yíxià.)
会 or 能
会 — know how (learned); 能 — have the chance today.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 会 (huì) | know how (learned) | 我会开车。(Wǒ huì kāichē.) |
| 能 (néng) | have the chance, can | 我今天不能开车。(Wǒ jīntiān bù néng kāichē.) |
汉语, 中文, 汉字, 字
Four different words about language and writing.
| Word | What it means | Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| 汉语 (Hànyǔ) | Chinese (the spoken language) | 学汉语 (xué Hànyǔ) |
| 中文 (Zhōngwén) | Chinese: the language and its writing | 中文书 (Zhōngwén shū) |
| 汉字 (Hànzì) | Chinese character | 三个汉字 (sān gè Hànzì) |
| 字 (zì) | any character | 名字 (míngzi) |
| 俄语 (Éyǔ) | Russian (the language) | 俄语老师 (Éyǔ lǎoshī) |
Lesson notes
What I can do: 会 and 再
This lesson is for saying what you can do in Chinese and keeping up in class.
会 (huì) — “can, know how to”, a skill you've learned: 我会说汉语。(Wǒ huì shuō Hànyǔ.) The negative is 不会 (bú huì). The question is 你会…吗？(Nǐ huì… ma?), the answer 会 / 不会.
English “I can speak Chinese” is a skill, so it's 会. 能 is for a chance: today I have time, I'm well. For the skill, say 我会说汉语 (Wǒ huì shuō Hànyǔ); 我能说汉语 (Wǒ néng shuō Hànyǔ) means “I have a chance to speak it”.
再 (zài) — “again”, about what is still to come; it goes before the verb, not at the end as in English “say it again”. So 请再说一下 (qǐng zài shuō yíxià) is “please say that again”.
对 also means “right, correct”: 对不对？(Duì bu duì?) — 对！(Duì!) / 不对。(Bú duì.) To agree that an answer is right, say 对, not 是.
汉语 is Chinese (the language), 中文 the language and its writing, 汉字 a Chinese character, 字 any written sign. 学 “to learn” and 学习 “to study”. A lesson number takes 第: 第一课 (dì-yī kè).
Common mistakes:
• ×我会汉字写。(Wǒ huì Hànzì xiě.) → 我会写汉字。(Wǒ huì xiě Hànzì.)
• ×请说再一下。(Qǐng shuō zài yíxià.) → 请再说一下。(Qǐng zài shuō yíxià.)