会 (huì) - Can/Able to/Know how to

Learn to express abilities and skills using the versatile auxiliary verb 会 (huì)

Chinese lesson from Tuesday, May 27, 2025

📚 Key Phrase: 上课了 (shàng kè le)

📖

Grammar Focus

会 (huì) is a versatile auxiliary verb that expresses ability, skill, or knowledge of how to do something. It's placed before the main verb and indicates that someone has learned or knows how to perform an action.
Pattern: Subject + 会 (huì) + Verb/Verb Phrase
我会说中文
wǒ huì shuō zhōng wén
I can speak Chinese
To form questions with 会 (huì), add 吗 (ma) at the end: 你会...吗?(nǐ huì...ma?) For negative sentences, use 不会 (bù huì): 我不会游泳 (wǒ bù huì yóu yǒng) - I can't swim.
很会 (hěn huì) + verb means 'very good at' or 'very skilled at' doing something. It emphasizes exceptional ability or talent.
Character Focus: 弹 (tán) - This character specifically means 'to play' for stringed instruments. It's used for piano, guitar, guzheng, and other plucked or struck string instruments. Notice how it has the 'hand' radical (手), indicating an action performed with hands.
上课了
shàng kè le
Class has started
La clase ha comenzado

词汇 Vocabulary

上课了
shàng kè le
English:
Class has started
Español:
La clase ha comenzado
下课了
xià kè le
English:
Class is over
Español:
La clase ha terminado
你会说中文吗?
nǐ huì shuō zhōng wén ma?
English:
Can you speak Chinese?
Español:
¿Sabes hablar chino?
你会做饭吗?
nǐ huì zuò fàn ma?
English:
Can you cook?
Español:
¿Sabes cocinar?
你会说西班牙语吗?
nǐ huì shuō xī bān yá yǔ ma?
English:
Can you speak Spanish?
Español:
¿Sabes hablar español?
你会打篮球吗?
nǐ huì dǎ lán qiú ma?
English:
Can you play basketball?
Español:
¿Sabes jugar baloncesto?
你会弹钢琴吗?
nǐ huì tán gāng qín ma?
English:
Can you play the piano?
Español:
¿Sabes tocar el piano?
你会弹吉他吗?
nǐ huì tán jí tā ma?
English:
Can you play the guitar?
Español:
¿Sabes tocar la guitarra?
你会弹古筝吗?
nǐ huì tán gǔ zhēng ma?
English:
Can you play the guzheng?
Español:
¿Sabes tocar el guzheng?
你会唱歌和跳舞吗?
nǐ huì chàng gē hé tiào wǔ ma?
English:
Can you sing and dance?
Español:
¿Sabes cantar y bailar?
你会什么?
nǐ huì shén me?
English:
What can you do?
Español:
¿Qué sabes hacer?
你会开车吗?
nǐ huì kāi chē ma?
English:
Can you drive?
Español:
¿Sabes conducir?
我会睡觉
wǒ huì shuì jiào
English:
I can sleep
Español:
Sé dormir
我会吃
wǒ huì chī
English:
I can eat
Español:
Sé comer
你会爬山吗?
nǐ huì pá shān ma?
English:
Can you climb mountains?
Español:
¿Sabes escalar montañas?
你会玩儿游戏吗?
nǐ huì wánr yóu xì ma?
English:
Can you play games?
Español:
¿Sabes jugar videojuegos?
我妈妈很会做饭
wǒ mā ma hěn huì zuò fàn
English:
My mom is very good at cooking
Español:
Mi mamá sabe muy bien cocinar
我妈妈很会工作
wǒ mā ma hěn huì gōng zuò
English:
My mom is very good at working
Español:
Mi mamá sabe muy bien trabajar

文化 Cultural Insights

In Chinese culture, modesty is highly valued. When someone asks '你会...吗?(nǐ huì...ma?)', it's common to respond humbly even if you're skilled. Instead of boasting about abilities, people often say '会一点儿 (huì yì diǎnr)' (know a little) or '不太会 (bù tài huì)' (not very good at it).

📖 Reading Practice

小明的才能 - Xiao Ming's Talents

Xiǎo Míng huì hěn duō dōng xi.
小明会很多东西。
Tā huì shuō zhōng wén, yě huì shuō yīng yǔ.
他会说中文,也会说英语。
Xiǎo Míng hěn huì tán gāng qín, tā cóng xiǎo jiù xué gāng qín.
小明很会弹钢琴,他从小就学钢琴。
Tā yě huì tán jí tā hé gǔ zhēng.
他也会弹吉他和古筝。
Xiǎo Míng de mā ma wèn tā: "Nǐ huì zuò fàn ma?"
小明的妈妈问他:"你会做饭吗?"
Xiǎo Míng shuō: "Wǒ huì zuò jiǎn dān de cài, dàn shì bù huì zuò fù zá de."
小明说:"我会做简单的菜,但是不会做复杂的。"
Tā de péng yǒu wèn tā: "Nǐ huì dǎ lán qiú ma?"
他的朋友问他:"你会打篮球吗?"
"Huì a! Wǒ hěn huì dǎ lán qiú, hái huì tī zú qiú ne!"
"会啊!我很会打篮球,还会踢足球呢!"
Xiǎo Míng de bà ba hěn huì kāi chē, yě huì xiū chē.
小明的爸爸很会开车,也会修车。
Xiǎo Míng shuō: "Wǒ xiǎng xué huì gèng duō de jì néng!"
小明说:"我想学会更多的技能!"

作业 Homework & Practice

📝 Homework for next class:

1. 🗣️ Practice asking family members or friends what they can do using '你会...吗?(nǐ huì...ma?)' and try to answer with different skills you have learned

2. 🎵 Learn musical instrument vocabulary: 弹钢琴 (tán gāng qín), 弹吉他 (tán jí tā), 弹古筝 (tán gǔ zhēng), 唱歌 (chàng gē), 跳舞 (tiào wǔ)

3. 🏃 Practice sports and activities: 打篮球 (dǎ lán qiú), 踢足球 (tī zú qiú), 爬山 (pá shān), 游泳 (yóu yǒng), 开车 (kāi chē)

4. 🍳 Learn daily skills vocabulary: 做饭 (zuò fàn), 工作 (gōng zuò), 玩儿游戏 (wánr yóu xì), 说中文 (shuō zhōng wén)

5. 🎯 Practice using 很会 (hěn huì) to express being very good at something: 我妈妈很会做饭 (wǒ mā ma hěn huì zuò fàn)

6. 🙈 Practice modest responses: 会一点儿 (huì yì diǎnr), 不太会 (bù tài huì), 不会 (bù huì)

💡 Challenge: Create a dialogue about talents and abilities, incorporating the class/time phrases: 上课了 (shàng kè le), 下课了 (xià kè le)

Practice Checklist:

Ready for More?

Continue your Chinese learning journey with live classes on TikTok. Join thousands of students learning Mandarin every day!

Join Live Classes