I can say whether I can come to class, ask someone else about it, and say where my children study and where I study.
Can I come: 能
Can I come: 能
This lesson is for telling a teacher or coworker whether you can come to class, and where you and your children study.
能 (néng) — “can”: you have the time, the health, the chance. It goes before the verb, and the time word comes even earlier: who — when — 能 — what they do. 我明天能来。(Wǒ míngtiān néng lái.) Not at the end, as in English “I can come tomorrow”.
The negative is 不能 (bù néng): “can't, won't be able to” — 我今天不能来。(Wǒ jīntiān bù néng lái.) For a question, 吗 at the end: 你星期六能来吗？(Nǐ xīngqīliù néng lái ma?) There's no word for “yes” here: answer 能 or 不能, not 是 or 没有.
English “can” also covers skills (“I can write”): that's another word, in lesson 3.
School levels: 小学 → 中学 → 大学; add 生 for the student: 小学生, 中学生, 大学生. 小朋友 is a child, also used to address one. When the first word names the kind, there's usually no 的: 大学老师 (dàxué lǎoshī) “university teacher”, 中学老师 (zhōngxué lǎoshī) “middle or high school teacher”; ownership takes 的: 伊万的妹妹 (Yīwàn de mèimei) “Ivan's younger sister”.
Common mistakes:
• ×我能上课明天。→ the time goes before the verb: 我明天能上课。(Wǒ míngtiān néng shàngkè.)
• ×我明天来能。→ 能 goes before the verb: 我明天能来。(Wǒ míngtiān néng lái.)
• ×我儿子是小学。→ 小学 is the school, the student is 小学生: 我儿子是小学生。(Wǒ érzi shì xiǎoxuéshēng.)
• ——你能来吗？(Nǐ néng lái ma?) ——×是。→ ——能。(Néng.)
能: affirmative, negative, question
The time goes before 能: who — when — 能 — what they do.
| What | Example |
|---|---|
| + | 我明天能来。(Wǒ míngtiān néng lái.) |
| − | 我今天不能来。(Wǒ jīntiān bù néng lái.) |
| ? | 你星期六能来吗？(Nǐ xīngqīliù néng lái ma?) — 能。/ 不能。(Néng. / Bù néng.) |
Levels of education
“+ 生” — someone who studies there.
| School | Who studies there | Age in China |
|---|---|---|
| 小学 (xiǎoxué) | 小学生 (xiǎoxuéshēng) | 6–12 |
| 中学 (zhōngxué) | 中学生 (zhōngxuéshēng) | 12–18 |
| 大学 (dàxué) | 大学生 (dàxuéshēng) | from 18 |
Lesson notes
Can I come: 能
This lesson is for telling a teacher or coworker whether you can come to class, and where you and your children study.
能 (néng) — “can”: you have the time, the health, the chance. It goes before the verb, and the time word comes even earlier: who — when — 能 — what they do. 我明天能来。(Wǒ míngtiān néng lái.) Not at the end, as in English “I can come tomorrow”.
The negative is 不能 (bù néng): “can't, won't be able to” — 我今天不能来。(Wǒ jīntiān bù néng lái.) For a question, 吗 at the end: 你星期六能来吗？(Nǐ xīngqīliù néng lái ma?) There's no word for “yes” here: answer 能 or 不能, not 是 or 没有.
English “can” also covers skills (“I can write”): that's another word, in lesson 3.
School levels: 小学 → 中学 → 大学; add 生 for the student: 小学生, 中学生, 大学生. 小朋友 is a child, also used to address one. When the first word names the kind, there's usually no 的: 大学老师 (dàxué lǎoshī) “university teacher”, 中学老师 (zhōngxué lǎoshī) “middle or high school teacher”; ownership takes 的: 伊万的妹妹 (Yīwàn de mèimei) “Ivan's younger sister”.
Common mistakes:
• ×我能上课明天。→ the time goes before the verb: 我明天能上课。(Wǒ míngtiān néng shàngkè.)
• ×我明天来能。→ 能 goes before the verb: 我明天能来。(Wǒ míngtiān néng lái.)
• ×我儿子是小学。→ 小学 is the school, the student is 小学生: 我儿子是小学生。(Wǒ érzi shì xiǎoxuéshēng.)
• ——你能来吗？(Nǐ néng lái ma?) ——×是。→ ——能。(Néng.)