Chinese Grammar & Culture Talk | What’s the difference between 可以, 能, and 會 (Shadowing practice) | About Japanese Tea Ceremony (茶道)

Summary

Have you ever wondered how the three frequently used Chinese words – 可以, 能, and 會 – actually work? Today we share our knowledge about the nuances of using them from a native perspective. There’s something curious about the mentality of using them – even when certain word pairs seem to be used interchangeably. Tune in today to find out about the do’s and don’ts.

➡️Take me to the Rules
➡️Take me to the Shadowing Practice

—
🎥 Reference videos
● A City of Gourmet Street Food 沿街都有美食的城市: A Day Trip to Jiufen 九份小旅行 #2 | https://youtu.be/MLlMeve28y4

—
🆔 About Us
● 📽️ YouTube：https://youtube.com/@trilingual-chatbox
● 📱 twitter：https://twitter.com/3lingualcb
● 📬 Email：3lingual.cb@gmail.com

—
🎶 BGM
● BGM: Cold Ears-Come Inside Mix by J. Lang (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/59577 Ft: Stefan Kartenberg & Nickolas Nikolic, Mindmapthat

—
©️ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

---

Photo by Roméo A. on Unsplash

---

PART 1 | Expressing one’s ability and capability in Chinese and Japanese

I. Vocabulary

1. Tea：
   茶 _^chá | お茶_^(ちゃ)
2. Traditional Japanese confections：
   和菓子 _^héguǒzi | 和菓子 _^(わがし)
3. Thirsty：
   口渴/口渴 _^kǒukě | 喉_^(のど)が渇_^(かわ)く　　 　
4. If：
   如果 _^rúguǒ | もし、もしも
5. To make tea：
   泡茶 _^pàochá | お茶を点_^(た)てる　
6. To drink tea：
   喝茶 _^hēchá | お茶を飲_^(の)む
7. To swim：
   游泳/游泳 _^yóuyǒng | 泳_^(およ)ぐ
8. To experience：
   體驗/体验 _^tǐyàn | 体験_{^{(たいけん)}}する
9. To make：
   製作/制作; 做 _{^{zhìzuò; zuò}} | 作_^(つく)る　
10. To eat wagashi; to taste wagashi：
    吃 (品嘗/品尝) 和菓子 _{^{chī (pǐncháng) héguǒzi}} | 和菓子を味_^(あじ)わう

II. Rules

1. 可以 / 能
   ^{Ability and capability – be able to, be capable of, permission, suggestion, 可以 is used more often}
   • e.g. 我可以幫你 / 我可以帮你。(=能)
     ——I can help you.
   • e.g. 如果你去日本，你就可以在那裡(里)體驗(体验)茶道。(=能)
     ——If you go to Japan, you’ll be able to experience the
     ——Japanese tea ceremony there.
   • e.g. 如果你口渴，你可以喝茶。
     ——If you’re thirsty, you can drink some tea.
   • *e.g. 他很能吃。
     ——He can eat a lot.
     (Other possible adverbs: 真/太/這麼(这么)/那麼(么)

2. 會 / 会
   ^{Skills related}
   • e.g. 我會(会)說(说)英語(语)。(=能, but less often used)
     ——I (can) speak English.
   • e.g. 我會(会)游泳。
     ——I know how to swim.
   • e.g. 我會(会)製(制)作和菓(果)子。
     ——I know how to make wagashi.
   • *e.g. 她真會(会)睡。
     ——She always sleeps like a log. (Implying she can sleep for
     ——an excessively long time or she can fall asleep in
     ——uncomfortable situations.)
     (Other possible adverbs: 很/太/這麼(这么)/那麼(么); Possibly Taiwanese Mandarin)

*Note: 會 is the only word (among the three) that expresses possibility, willingness and plans regarding the future

3. Forming Questions

• Permission, Request, & Ability/Capability
  • 可不可以 = 可以不可以 = 可以…嗎(吗)？(= 能不能 =能…嗎？)
    e.g. 我可不可以吃這(这)個(个)和菓(果)子？(Asking for permission)
    —- = 我可以吃這個和菓子嗎？
    ——Can/May I eat this wagashi?
  • 能不能 = 能…嗎(吗)？(= 可不可以 = 可以…嗎？)
    e.g. 你能不能一次喝十杯茶？(Asking for capability)
    —- = 你能一次喝十杯茶嗎(吗)？
    ——Can you drink ten cups of tea in a row?
• Skills related
  • 會不會/会不会 = 会…吗？
    e.g. 你會不會做做和菓子？(Asking if one knows how to…)
    —- = 你會做和菓子嗎？
    ——Do you know how to make wagashi?

4. Negation

• Permission (Restriction)：不可以
  • e.g. 你不可以喝茶。
    —- You may not drink tea. _{^{(because the caffeine might affect you)}}
    

• Permission (Restriction) & Capability：不能
  • e.g. 我不能喝茶。
    —- I can’t drink tea. (because I get insomnia from caffeine.)
  • e.g. 我不能一次喝十杯茶。
    —- I can’t drink ten cups of tea in a row. (because too much
    —- water makes me sick)

• Skills related：不會
  • e.g. 我還(还)不會(会)泡茶。
    —- I don’t know how to make tea yet.

*Note:
[Q]: 能不能？可不可以？
[A]: 可以。(Allowing or stating one’s capability) (It’s possible but uncommon to use 能。)
—– Yes, you may. / Yes, I can, I’m capable of doing that.
—– No, I won’t be able to.
[A]: 不能。(Stating one’s incapability)
—– No, I won’t be able to.

5. Bottom line

• Making a request & Asking for permission：可以/能
• Possibility：可以/能
• 可以 is used most often out of the three words
• Skills related – Knowing how to：會(会)/能
  (Overlaps 能, which is less often used in this case though)
• Skills related – Being good at：會(会)/能
  (Always used with adverbs like 很/真/太/這麼(这么)/那麼(么)　

---

III. Shadowing Practice

1. If you’re thirsty, you can drink some tea.
   • 中：如果你口渴，你可以喝茶。
     —- ^{rúguǒ nǐ kǒukě, nǐ kěyǐ hēchá}
   • 日：もし喉が渇いていたら、お茶を飲んでいいですよ。
2. If you go to Japan, you’ll be able to experience Japanese tea ceremony there.
   • 日：もし日本_^(にほん)に行_^(い)ったら、茶道_^(さどう)を体験できます。
   • 中：如果你去日本，你就可以在那裡體驗茶道。
     —- ^{rúguǒ nǐ qù rìběn, nǐ jiù kěyǐ zài nàlǐ tǐyèn chádào.}
3. I know how to make wagashi.
   • 中：我會製作和菓子。
     —- ^{wǒ huì zhìzuò héguǒzi.}
   • 日：和菓子を作ることができます。
4. I can’t drink ten cups of tea in a row.
   • 日：続_^(つづ)けてお茶を１０杯_{^{(じゅっぱい)}}飲むことはできません。
   • 中：我不能一次喝十杯茶。
     —- ^{wǒ bùnéng yícì hē shíbēichá.}
5. I don’t know how to make tea yet.
   • 中：我還不會泡茶。
     —- ^{wǒ hái búhuì pàochá.}
   • 日：私はまだお茶を点てることができません。

---

PART 2 | Japanese Tea Ceremony 茶道

1. Brief info of Sado
   
2. Who practices Sado
   
3. Brief history of Sado
   
4. Similarities of Sado and martial arts
   
5. Where to experience Sado

---

We would like to HEAR from you!
_{^{Your message could end up on a future episode!}}

^{(with your consent, of course)}

---