Modal Verbs 能 / 会 / 要
Modal verbs like néng 能, huì 会 and yào 要 shape meaning around ability, possibility and intention. This short guide shows you how each one works with clear examples.
能 / 能够
néng 能 expresses real ability or permission to do something. Use it when circumstances allow an action. For formal contexts, nénggòu 能够 can substitute néng 能.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我能帮你。 | Wǒ néng bāng nǐ. | I can help you. |
| 你能来吗？ | Nǐ néng lái ma? | Can you come? |
| 这里不能停车。 | Zhèlǐ bù néng tíngchē. | You can’t park here. |
| 他能够完成任务。 | Tā nénggòu wánchéng rènwù. | He can complete the task. |
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会 / 学会
huì 会 indicates learned ability or a future skill. Use it for things you know how to do or for someone who will do something. To highlight acquiring a skill, use xuéhuì 学会.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我会说中文。 | Wǒ huì shuō Zhōngwén. | I can speak Chinese. |
| 她会开车。 | Tā huì kāichē. | She can drive. |
| 孩子学会游泳了。 | Háizi xuéhuì yóuyǒng le. | The child has learned to swim. |
| 他下个月会做饭。 | Tā xià gè yuè huì zuò fàn. | He will cook next month. |
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要 / 想要 / 打算
yào 要 expresses intention, desire or a near-future action. For softer requests, use xiǎng yào 想要 or pair with dǎsuàn 打算 to plan something. yào 要 also appears in asking for something.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我要去北京。 | Wǒ yào qù Běijīng. | I’m going to Beijing. |
| 你想要咖啡吗？ | Nǐ xiǎng yào kāfēi ma? | Do you want coffee? |
| 我打算买新手机。 | Wǒ dǎsuàn mǎi xīn shǒujī. | I plan to buy a new phone. |
| 他要参加比赛。 | Tā yào cānjiā bǐsài. | He wants to join the competition. |
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会 / 能 / 可以 做
huì 会, néng 能 and kěyǐ 可以 can all pair with verbs but differ in meaning: huì 会 is learned ability or future skill, néng 能 is real ability or permission, and kěyǐ 可以 is allowed or polite permission.
| Sentence | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 我会开车。 | Wǒ huì kāichē. | I know how to drive. |
| 我能开车。 | Wǒ néng kāichē. | I am able to drive / allowed to drive. |
| 我可以开车吗？ | Wǒ kěyǐ kāichē ma? | May I drive? |
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Summary
néng 能 = real ability or permission; huì 会 = learned skill or future action; yào 要 = intention, desire, or near-future plan. Use related phrases like xuéhuì 学会 and dǎsuàn 打算 to add nuance.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025