会, 能, 可以 — three different kinds of "can"
会 = a learned skill (我会说中文 — I can speak Chinese). 能 = physically able or free to right now (我今天不能去 — I can't go today). 可以 = permitted (可以进来吗？ — May I come in?).
Structure
-
会 + Verb
A skill you learned — languages, driving, cooking.
-
能 + Verb
Ability or availability in this situation.
-
可以 + Verb
Permission — allowed to.
How it works
English flattens three different ideas into "can". Chinese keeps them apart, and choosing wrong changes the meaning rather than just sounding odd.
会 is a skill you acquired: 我会说中文。 他会开车。 If you had to learn it, it's 会. It has a second job too — predicting the future: 明天会下雨。 (It'll rain tomorrow.)
能 is about this situation: physically capable, or free, or the circumstances allow. 我今天不能去，我很忙。 It also covers capacity: 这个房间能坐五十个人。
可以 is permission. 这儿可以抽烟吗？ (Can one smoke here?) 可以 alone is also the standard "sure, go ahead". In casual speech 能 and 可以 overlap for requests, but only 可以 is unambiguously about rules.
Negation has a quirk: for refused permission Chinese normally says 不能 or 不可以 — and 不会 means "doesn't know how", never "isn't allowed".
Examples
Quick drill — 5 questions
Five fill-in-the-gap questions built from the example sentences above. No sign-up, no score kept — just a check that the pattern has actually landed.
Choose the word that belongs in the gap:
Common mistakes
| ✗ Wrong | ✓ Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 我能说中文。 | 我会说中文。 | A language is a learned skill: 会. 我能说中文 suggests "I'm able to speak Chinese right now (my throat isn't sore)". |
| 今天我不会去。 | 今天我不能去。 | 不会去 means "I don't know how to go" or "I won't go". Being unavailable is 不能. |
| 这儿会抽烟吗？ | 这儿可以抽烟吗？ | Asking about a rule needs 可以 (or 能), never 会. |
会 / 能 / 可以 — three ways to say "can" — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 会, 能 and 可以?
会 is a learned skill (我会游泳 — I can swim, I learned how). 能 is ability or availability in this situation (我今天不能来 — I can't come today). 可以 is permission (可以坐这儿吗？ — may I sit here?).
Which one do I use for speaking a language?
会 — 我会说中文. Languages are learned skills. Using 能 there suggests you are physically able to speak at this moment rather than that you know the language.
Does 会 mean "will"?
It can. Besides marking a skill, 会 expresses likelihood about the future: 明天会下雨 (it'll rain tomorrow), 他会来的 (he'll come). Context tells the two uses apart easily.
How do you say "you can't" for a rule?
不能 or 不可以: 这儿不能抽烟 / 这儿不可以抽烟 (you can't smoke here). Do not use 不会 — that means "doesn't know how".
Next, learn
Put it to work
Drill the vocabulary for this level on the HSK 2 word list, rebuild scrambled sentences in the Sentence Builder, read graded stories that use this pattern in the story library, or follow a step-by-step route through the whole site in Guided Learning Paths.