Level 2 Lesson 14.1 – Can You Teach Me Really Quick, Okay?

Modal Verb 可以 vs. Modal Verb 能 | Yes or No Question with 可以吗
In today's video lesson we’ll learn how to use Modal Verb 可以. We'll compare the Modal Verb 可以 vs. 能 as well. And we'll also learn another form of yes or no question and how to say right and wrong in Chinese.
VOCABULARY
EXPRESSIONS
GRAMMAR
Grammar 1: Modal Verb 可以 · HSK 2
Just like the Modal Verb 能, Modal Verb 可以 can suggest two meanings:
(1) the possibility to do something
For example,
- nín kě bu kěyǐ xiàng wǒ jièshào yíxià
您可不可以向我介绍一下?
Can you introduce to me really quick or not? - nǐ kěyǐ chūlai ma
你可以出来吗?
Can you come out?
(2) the rationality to do something, like whether it is permitted, allowed, accepted or reasonable to do something
- shí liù suì zài Zhōngguó kěyǐ kāichē ma
十六岁在中国可以开车吗?
Can (a) 16-yar-old drive in China? - wǒ kěyǐ hējiǔ ma
我可以喝酒吗?
Can I drink alcohol?
To answer questions with 可以, for short answers, we can say 可以 for yes, and 不行 for no.
For example,
- Q: qǐngwèn, wǒ kěyǐ jìnlai ma
请问,我可以进来吗?
Excuse me, can I come in?
Y: kěyǐ
可以。
Yes.
N: bùxíng
不行。
No.
Grammar 2: Modal Verb 可以 vs. 能· HSK 2
I. Interchangeable
When asking questions, no matter it is asking “possibility” or “rationality”, 可以 and 能 are interchangeable.
For example the two sentences in each group have the same meaning.
(1) asking the possibility to do something
- nín néng huídá yíxià ma
您能回答一下吗?
Can you answer really quick? - nín kěyǐ huídá yíxià ma
您可以回答一下吗?
Can you answer really quick?
(2) asking the rationality to do something, like whether it is permitted, allowed, accepted or reasonable to do something
- wǒ míngtiān néng bú shàngkè ma
我明天能不上课吗?
Can I (be allowed to) not go to class tomorrow? - wǒ míngtiān kěyǐ bú shàngkè ma
我明天可以不上课吗?
Can I (be allowed to) not go to class tomorrow?
II. Differences
The differences between Modal Verb 可以 vs. 能 are there mainly when answering questions with a full sentences.
There are situations where we cannot use 可以 or 能. The differences are as follows (* marks usages that are incorrect):
Can Possibly |
Cannot Possibly |
Can be allowed to |
Cannot be allowed to |
能 | 不能 | *能 | 不能 |
jīntiān méi xiàyǔ, wǒmen néng qù tī zúqiú 今天没下雨,我们能去踢足球。 Today (it) didn't rain, we can (possibly) go to play soccer. |
wǒ míngtiān bù néng qù nǐ jiā chī fàn 我明天不能去你家吃饭。 I cannot (be allowed to) go to your home to eat tomorrow. |
wǒ néng gàosu nǐ *我能告诉你。 I can (be allowed to) tell you. |
xiǎo háizi bùnéng hējiǔ 小孩子不能喝酒。 Little kids cannot (be allowed to) drink alcohol. |
可以 | *不可以 | 可以 | 不可以 |
jīntiān méi xiàyǔ, wǒmen kěyǐ qù tī zúqiú 今天没下雨,我们可以去踢足球。 Today (it) didn't rain, we can (possibly) go to play soccer. |
wǒ míngtiān bù kěyǐ qù nǐ jiā chī fàn *我明天不可以去你家吃饭。 I cannot (be allowed to) go to your home to eat tomorrow. |
wǒ kěyǐ gàosu nǐ 我可以告诉你。 I can (be allowed to) tell you. |
xiǎo háizi bù kèyǐ hējiǔ 小孩子不可以喝酒。 Little kids cannot (be allowed to) drink alcohol. |
To sum up, just remember that 不可以 only means "cannot be allowed to" or "prohibited"; and 能 only means "can possibly".
Grammar 3: Yes or No Question with 可以吗?· HSK 2
We have learned ways to ask and answer Yes or No questions in Chinese before [See (I) and (II)]. In today's lesson we'll learn another way to ask a yes or no question with 可以吗?
Usually we make a request or suggestion, and then say “X吗?”. The X here can be an adjective or a Modal Verb.
Request/Suggestion + X 吗?
For example,
- nǐ jiāojiao wǒ, hǎo ma
你教教我,好吗?
You teach me really quick, okay? - wǒ xiǎng zǒulù qù gōnggòng qīchē zhàn
我想走路去公共汽车站,可以吗?
I want to walk to the bus stop, okay? - zhè bēi jiǔ shì nǐ de, duì ma
这杯酒是你的,对吗?
This cup of alcohol is yours, correct?
Grammar 4: Right and Wrong in Chinese · HSK 2
In Chinese 对 is correct, right, and 错 is incorrect or wrong.
The phrase 不对 is incorrect, however, the phrase 不错 is not bad, or not wrong. The phrase 没错 is not wrong, or correct.
On pleco 教 is listed in example sentences with 第四声. 为什么?
In Chinese it is not rare for a character to have more than one pronunciation. Usually different pronunciations also have different meanings. This kind of characters are called 多音字 (Duōyīnzì ▸ Many-Pronunciation-Characters ▸ Polyphones)