use of neng, keyi, or hui
In the lesson quiz the question asked was what is the translation of "wo hui shuo xie xie", the answer was "i can say thank you" rather than "I know how to say thank you". There was likewise a note saying beside the "i can say thank you" the pin yin, "wo neng shuo xie xie". I am a bit confused as to use of the words neng, keyi and hui in this context as the meanings seem to be almost similar. Xiexie nin.
Yes, you're right! They're almost the same, and can be quite tricky. But I'll help you as much as I can
Loosely speaking,
neng, ke yi, hui = can
But strictly speaking, there's a difference between three of them
neng = refers to 'can' as in you're ABLE TO, or you're PERMITTED to do something (more to ABLE TO).
> wo neng du zhong wen
= I'm able to read Chinese.
= I can read Chinese.
ke yi = refers to 'can' as in you're ABLE TO, and you're PERMITTED to do something (more to PERMITTED to do something)
> ni ke yi chu qu le
= You're permitted to go out now.
= You can go out now.
hui = refers to 'can' as in you KNOW HOW TO.
> wo hui du zhong wen
= I know how to read Chinese.
= I can read Chinese.
> wo hui hua hua
(hua hua = draw)
= I know how to draw.
= I can draw.
SO
- You use 'hui' when you're expressing that you know how to do something.
- 'Ke yi' and 'neng' on the other hand have quite similar meaning, only a slight difference between them. In normal linguistic usage, they can be used interchangeably.
I might made a mistake, so please check with others.
Happy Chinese Learning!
Loosely speaking,
neng, ke yi, hui = can
But strictly speaking, there's a difference between three of them
neng = refers to 'can' as in you're ABLE TO, or you're PERMITTED to do something (more to ABLE TO).
> wo neng du zhong wen
= I'm able to read Chinese.
= I can read Chinese.
ke yi = refers to 'can' as in you're ABLE TO, and you're PERMITTED to do something (more to PERMITTED to do something)
> ni ke yi chu qu le
= You're permitted to go out now.
= You can go out now.
hui = refers to 'can' as in you KNOW HOW TO.
> wo hui du zhong wen
= I know how to read Chinese.
= I can read Chinese.
> wo hui hua hua
(hua hua = draw)
= I know how to draw.
= I can draw.
SO
- You use 'hui' when you're expressing that you know how to do something.
- 'Ke yi' and 'neng' on the other hand have quite similar meaning, only a slight difference between them. In normal linguistic usage, they can be used interchangeably.
I might made a mistake, so please check with others.
Happy Chinese Learning!
Many thanks for your prompt reply. It was most helpful.
You're most welcome
Total posts 14725 •
Total topics 3502 •
Total members 19054 •
Our newest member Lolo27
Try Rocket Chinese for Free
Sign up for your Free, No-obligation Trial
and see how well Rocket Chinese works for you!
No Credit Card Required
YES! I want to try Rocket Chinese for free!
This is a private and fully protected mailing list.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
You can review our
Privacy Policy here.
That's right, sign up now and you'll be able to see just how well my Rocket Chinese Premium course works for you!
Your free trial gives you instant online access to a selection of Rocket Chinese Premium interactive audio lessons and Chinese language and culture lessons.
You'll be amazed at how much Chinese you know after just a few days!
4.5 out of 5
"Rocket Languages is
our Editors' Choice for
language-learning"
PC MAG
Yours sincerely,
Lin Ping
Rocket Chinese
