Modal Verbs in Chinese: 能, 会, 可以, 想, 要 and 应该

• 我今天能来。 (Wǒ jīntiān néng lái.) — I can come today.
• 你能帮我吗？ (Nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?) — Can you help me?
• 他病了，不能去。 (Tā bìng le, bù néng qù.) — He is ill and can't go.

可以 (kěyǐ) — permission. Use it for what's allowed:

• 这里可以拍照吗？ (Zhèli kěyǐ pāizhào ma?) — May I take photos here?
• 你可以坐这儿。 (Nǐ kěyǐ zuò zhèr.) — You can sit here.

There's overlap: 能 and 可以 often both work for permission and requests.

会 for the future and likelihood

会 also means "will" or "is likely to":

• 明天会下雨。 (Míngtiān huì xià yǔ.) — It will rain tomorrow.
• 他会来的。 (Tā huì lái de.) — He will come.

Wanting: 想 and 要

• 想 (xiǎng) — want to, would like to, or think: 我想喝茶。 (I'd like some tea.)
• 要 (yào) — want, need, or be going to: 我要一杯水。 (I want a glass of water.) 我要去北京。 (I'm going to Beijing.)

想 is softer and more polite; 要 is more direct.

Should and must

• 应该 (yīnggāi) — should: 你应该休息。 (You should rest.)
• 必须 (bìxū) — must: 你必须带护照。 (You must bring your passport.)
• 得 (děi) — have to (colloquial): 我得走了。 (I've got to go.)

Negatives

• 不会 — can't (never learned) or won't happen
• 不能 — can't, or not allowed / not possible
• 不可以 — not allowed
• 不想 — don't want to
• 不要 — don't want, or "don't" as a command

Note the strong meaning of 不能 and 不可以 for prohibition.

Questions

• 你会开车吗？ — Can you drive?
• 我可以进来吗？ — May I come in?
• 你想去吗？ — Do you want to go?

Common mistakes

• Using 能 for learned skills where 会 is better.
• Using 想 and 要 interchangeably in polite requests.
• Forgetting that modal verbs come before the main verb.

Practice

1. Make five sentences with each modal.
2. Ask permission in five different situations.
3. Practise polite requests using 想 and 可以.
4. Look up modal verbs in a dictionary.

Look up modal verbs with English Chinese Dictionary →