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会huìcan; to have the skill; to know how to

HSK 1word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

会 (huì) means "can" or "know how to" for a learned skill. Put it before a verb to say someone has the ability to do something, such as speaking Chinese or driving. Negate it with 不: 不会 means "cannot" or "do not know how to."

What does 会 mean?

  1. 1.

    can; to have the skill; to know how toverb

What does the character 会 mean?

  • 会can; to have the skill; to know how to

How do you use 会?

Grammar patterns

  1. 1

    Subj. + 会 + Verb (+ Obj.)

    Use 会 before a verb for a learned skill: languages, driving, cooking, and similar abilities.

  2. 2

    Subj. + 不 + 会 + Verb (+ Obj.)

    Negate 会 with 不. 不会 means "cannot" or "do not know how to" for that skill.

会 here is about knowing how after learning; it is not the noun "meeting." Pronunciation of 不会 is often bú huì because of tone sandhi.

Patterns

  • 会不会 + Verb

    你会不会开车？

    Nǐ huì bu huì kāichē?

    Can you drive?

  • 不会 + Verb

    妈妈不会用电脑。

    Māma bú huì yòng diànnǎo.

    Mom can't use a computer.

What are some examples of 会 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 1

    他会说中文。

    Tā huì shuō Zhōngwén.

    He can speak Chinese.

  2. HSK 1

    我会写汉字。

    Wǒ huì xiě Hànzì.

    I can write Chinese characters.

  3. HSK 1

    你会做饭吗？

    Nǐ huì zuòfàn ma?

    Can you cook?

  4. HSK 2

    我不会游泳。

    Wǒ bú huì yóuyǒng.

    I can't swim. / I don't know how to swim.

How is 会 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    你会说中文吗？

    Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?

    Can you speak Chinese?

  2. Speaker B:

    会，我会说中文。

    Huì, wǒ huì shuō Zhōngwén.

    Yes, I can speak Chinese.

  3. Speaker A:

    你会开车吗？

    Nǐ huì kāichē ma?

    Can you drive?

  4. Speaker B:

    不会，我不会开车。

    Bú huì, wǒ bú huì kāichē.

    No, I can't drive.

  5. Speaker A:

    那你会做饭吗？

    Nà nǐ huì zuòfàn ma?

    Then can you cook?

  6. Speaker B:

    会，我会做饭。

    Huì, wǒ huì zuòfàn.

    Yes, I can cook.

Can you use 会 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 他___说中文。
  2. 2.Fill in the blank: 我___会游泳。
  3. 3.Which sentence is about a learned skill?

What should you learn next?

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.