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Intermediate

Modal Verbs

会, 能, 可以, 想, 要

会 / 能 / 可以 (can)

会 = learned skill, 能 = capability/circumstance, 可以 = permission.

📊 Modal verbs
Verb Meaning Example
会 huì know how to 会开车
能 néng be able to 能来
可以 kěyǐ be allowed to 可以走
要 yào want to / will 要去
想 xiǎng would like to 想吃
💬 Examples
我会说中文。
Wǒ huì shuō Zhōngwén.
I can speak Chinese.
📝 会 = a learned skill
我可以进来吗?
Wǒ kěyǐ jìnlai ma?
May I come in?
📝 可以 = permission
想 / 要 (want)

想 = would like to; 要 = want to / will / about to.

💬 Examples
我想喝咖啡。
Wǒ xiǎng hē kāfēi.
I'd like to drink coffee.
📝 想 = would like
我要走了。
Wǒ yào zǒu le.
I'm about to leave.
📝 要 = want / will / about to
会 also predicts the future

会 can mean 'will (likely)'.

💬 Examples
明天会下雨。
Míngtiān huì xià yǔ.
It will rain tomorrow.
📝 会 = will (prediction)
他不会来。
Tā bú huì lái.
He won't come.
📝 不会 = won't