How to Express the Verb “Can” in Chinese (A H - Cchatty

How to Express the Verb “Can” in Chinese (A Huge Can of Worms!)

How to translate “can” depends on its meaning.

To express “can”/“know how to,” use huì 会:

I can/know how to speak Chinese.
Wǒ huì shuō Hànyǔ.
我会说汉语。

I can/know how to play the piano.
Wǒ huì tán gāngqín.
我会弹钢琴。


To express “can”/”able to” (physically), use néng 能:

I’m very strong and can do mountain climbing.
Wǒ hěn zhuàng, wǒ néng páshān.
我很壮，我能爬山。

I have a heart condition and can’t run.
Wǒ yǒu xīnzàngbìng, bùnéng pǎo.
我有心脏病，不能跑。

THEREFORE:
My little brother is eight months old. He can’t speak.
Wǒ xiǎo dìdi bāge yuè, búhuì shuōhuà.
我小弟弟八个月，不会说话。

BUT:
My little sister is a deaf-mute. She can’t speak.
Wǒ mèimei shì lóngyǎ rén, tā bù néng shuōhuà.
我妹妹是聋哑人，她不能说话。


To express “can”/“may”/”are permitted to,” use kěyǐ 可以:

We can/may/are permitted to speak Chinese in Chinese class; we may not speak English.
Zài shàng Hànyǔ kè shí, wǒmen kěyǐ shuō Hànyǔ, bùkěyǐ shuō Yīngyǔ.
在上汉语课时，我们可以说汉语，不可以说英语。

Use resultative endings to express “can” and “can’t.” There are many verbs in Chinese that do not use huì 会 or néng 能 to express the ability to do something. Rather, according to what type of verb they are, many of them take a special resultative ending to express the idea of “can”/ “able to.” Below is a list of the most commonly used of these types of verbs: Verbs of Senses: -jiàn 见 or -dào 到

can see
kàndejiàn or kàndedào
看得见 or 看得到

can’t see
kànbujiàn or kànbudào
看不见 or 看不到

can hear
tīngdejiàn or tīngdedào
听得见 or 听得到

can’t hear
tīngbujiàn or tīngbudào
听不见 or 听不到

can smell
wéndejiàn or wéndedào
闻得见 or 闻得到

can’t smell
wénbujiàn or wénbudào
闻不见 or 闻不到

BUT:
can taste
✔ CC: chángdedào 尝得到
✖ BC: chángdejiàn 尝得见

can’t taste
chángbudào
尝不到

AND:
can touch/feel
✔ CC: mōdedào 摸得到
✖ BC: mōdejiàn 摸得见

can’t touch/feel
mōbudào
摸不到


To express “can or can’t understand by ____ing,” use - dǒng -懂:

can understand (by reading)
kàndedǒng
看得懂

can’t understand
kànbudǒng
看不懂

can understand (by listening)
tīngdedǒng
听得懂

can’t understand
tīngbudǒng
听不懂


To express “___ clearly,” use -qīngchu 清楚:

can see clearly
kàndeqīngchu
看得清楚

can’t see clearly
kànbuqīngchu
看不清楚

can hear clearly
tīngdeqīngchu
听得清楚

can’t hear clearly
tīngbuqīngchu
听不清楚


To express successful completion of an action, use -zháo 着 or -dào 到:

can find
zhǎodezháo or zhǎodedào
找得着 or 找得到

can’t find
zhǎobuzháo or zhǎobudào
找不着 or 找不到

can buy
mǎidezháo or mǎidedào
买得着 or 买得到

can’t buy (because not available)
mǎibuzháo or mǎibudào
买不着 or 买不到


To express the ability to do something physical, use -liǎo 了:

can carry
nádeliǎo
拿得了

can’t carry
nábuliǎo
拿不了

can say (physically able to say)
shuōdeliǎo
说得了

can’t say
shuōbuliǎo
说不了


To express “can afford to,” use -qǐ 起:

can afford to buy
mǎideqǐ
买得起

can’t afford to buy
mǎibuqǐ
买不起

can afford to pay
fùdeqǐ
付得起

can’t afford to pay
fùbuqǐ
付不起

can afford to face someone (figuratively)
duìdeqǐ
对得起

can’t afford to face someone (because you’ve done something shameful)
duìbuqǐ
对不起


To express “can ___ up,” use -qǐlái 起来:

can pick up
nádeqǐlái
拿得起来

can’t pick up
nábuqǐlái
拿不起来

can pull up
lādeqǐlái
拉得起来

can’t pull up
lābuqǐlái
拉不起来

can stand up
zhàndeqǐlái
站得起来

can’t stand up
zhànbuqǐlái
站不起来


To express “can ___ out,” use -chūlái 出来:

can take out
nádechūlái
拿得出来

can’t take out
nábuchūlái
拿不出来

can speak out
shuōdechūlái
说得出来

can’t speak out
shuōbuchūlái
说不出来


To express “keep/remain ___ in,” use -zhù 住:

can hold on to
nádezhù
拿得住

can’t hold on to
nábuzhù
拿不住

can keep standing
zhàndezhù
站得住

can’t keep standing;
zhànbuzhù
站不住


To express “can finish doing something,” use -wán 完:

can finish doing something
zuòdewán
做得完

can finish speaking/saying
something shuōdewán
说得完

To negate all these, replace de 得 with bu 不, as in previous examples.


To express “to ___ up(stairs),” use shànglái 上来 or shàngqu 上去:

to walk up(stairs) [to where the speaker currently is]
zǒushàng(lóu)lái
走上 (楼) 来

to walk up(stairs) [away from where the speaker is]
zǒushàng(lóu)qù
走上 (楼) 去

to run up(stairs) [to where the speaker is]
pǎoshàng(lóu)lái
跑上 (楼) 来

to run up(stairs) [away from where the speaker is]
pǎoshàng (lóu) qù
跑上 (楼) 去


To express “to ____ down(stairs),” use xiàlái 下来 or xiàqu下去:

to walk down(stairs) [to where the speaker is]
zǒuxià (lóu) lái
走下 (楼) 来

to walk down(stairs) [away from the speaker]
zǒuxià (lóu) qù
走下 (楼) 去