Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/能-néng
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How to use 能 néng
Hello everybody!
In today's lesson, we will teach you how to use the Chinese verb 能 néng.
Feel free to edit this wiki page, if you think it can be improved.
能 néng indicates the ability to do something:
- 我能打電話。/我能打电话。 Wǒ néng dǎ diàn huà
I can call. (I am able do it)
There is a nuance with 會/会 huì “know how to do something”, even if the use is sometimes very close:
- 我能說話。/我能说话。Wǒ néng shuō huà
I can speak (I have the physical capacity: mouth, tongue, etc.).
- 我會說話。/我会说话。Wǒ huì shuō huà
I can speak (because I have learned it, it is a know-how and in this sense the sentence is also understood by the eloquence: "I know how to speak well.").
能 néng also indicates permission:
- 我能不能去看他? Wǒ néng bù néng qù kān tā?
Can I go see him?
- 不能。 Bù néng
No.
Sources
http://www.chine-culture.com/chinois/cours-de-chinois-6-grammaire.php