To gather, assemble, or join together. To meet, know how to, be able to, or will; a meeting or gathering. A person (人) above a speech cloud (云): people coming together to talk.
会 meaning 'know how to' normally needs a verb after it. To say you can speak a language, use 会说, not 会 directly before the language.
会 is not used for completed past actions. For something that already happened, use 了 without 会.
会 means you have learned a skill; 能 means you have the ability or permission in a situation.
Use 会 for things you have learned to do, like speaking a language, swimming, or driving. Use 能 for physical ability, possibility, or permission at a particular moment. If you learned it, use 会. If circumstances allow it, use 能.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Learned skill | 我会说中文。 | 我能说中文。 (sounds like ability in a situation, not learned skill) |
| Permission or possibility | 今天能去开会吗？ | 今天会去开会吗？ (asks about future willingness, not permission) |
| Physical ability | 他能跑十公里。 | 他会跑十公里。 (sounds like he knows how to run, not that he is able to run that far) |
会 alone usually means 'can' or 'know how to'; for a meeting, use the full phrase 开会.
In modern Chinese, 会 is rarely used alone as a noun for 'meeting'. The common everyday phrase is 开会, which literally means 'open a meeting'. If you just say 会, people will usually understand it as the auxiliary verb 'can' or 'know how to'.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Having a meeting | 我们下午开会。 | 我们下午会。 (sounds incomplete and confusing) |
| Talking about a meeting | 这个会很重要。 | 这个开会很重要。 (开会 is a verb phrase, not a noun) |
| Asking about ability | 你会开车吗？ | 你开会开车吗？ (mixes meeting with driving ability) |
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
上个星期，我们公司的六个人去北京 开会 。
This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!
手机在手中，飞机真 会 飞。
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
我有时 会 去游泳。
This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.
我天天坐在这儿看外边，觉得我儿子还 会 回来。”
Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.
天天下午，桌子上都 会 多出一个很大的苹果。
Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.
但是她可能 会 坐火车回上海。
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