About Chinese Language

Sentences with the optative verbs (Ⅰ)
能愿动词谓语句(Ⅰ)

“会”，“能”，“可以”，“应该”
Optative verbs such as “会”，“能”，“可以”，“应该”, and “要”are often placed before verbs to express ability, possibility, or willingness.
Optative verbs such as “会”，“能”，and “可以”indicate the ability to do something and can be translated with the English word “can; be able to ”.
It should be noted, though, that “会”emphasizes skills acquired through learning, while “能”and “可以”express the possession of skills in general.

(不) + OpV + V O

Subject

Predicate

OpV

V O

你
他
我
谁
他孙女儿
马大为
你朋友
你

今天

会不会
不会
会
会
能
能不能
能
可以不可以

说   汉语？
打   球。
写   这个汉字。
游泳？
教   他英语吗？
学习？
喝   多少酒？
介绍一下你们系？

“能” and “可以”are also be used to express permission or prohibition under specific circumstance. For example:

Subject	Predicate
Subject	TW	OpV	V O
我们我（我）这儿	八点明天	能不能不能可以不可以	到那儿？上课。进来吗？吃东西。

The optative verb “应该”is used to express needs arising from moral or factual necessity.

Subject	Predicate
Subject	OpV	V O
他你	应该不应该	来上课。去那儿。

Note: 1. In a sentence with an optative verb, the affirmative-negative form (V/A-not-V/A) is formed by juxtaposing the affirmative and negative forms of the optative verb, that is OpV-not-OpV.
          OpV+不+ OpV +V +O
           会不会    说汉语
           能不能    去
          可以不可以. 介绍

2. the negative form of “能” and “可以” is usually “不能”.“不可以”is only used to express prohibition. For example:“不可以吸烟”. If the answer to the question “你可以不可以介绍一下你们系？”is negative, it should be “我不能介绍我们系.”one cannot say “我不可以介绍我们系.”

3. To answer briefly, one may use only the optative verb. For example:
你会说汉语吗？-----不会。
可以进来吗？-----可以。

4. Some of the optative verbs are also general verbs. For example:
他会英语。
我要咖啡。

Course: Life in China