Danny Gallagher
不會 and 不能 Hello! When saying 不會 in a question, like 你不會喝酒嗎? would you translate it as "Can't you...?" Or "You can't...?" In English, "Can't you drink?" usually indicates that the asker would be surprised if the answer is no. Whereas, "You can't drink?" is a little more like just asking for confirmation. I think "Can't you drink?" expects a "yes I can drink" and "You can't drink?" expects a "no I can't.". Maybe I'm reading into this too much. But if you say 你不會喝酒嗎? which one would you translate it too? Also, how would you respond to that question in Chinese?
Nov 28, 2014 10:59 AM
Answers · 3
2
不会 = unlikely to happen or not enough knowledge / skill 不能 = no physical ability 他_不_会_看_书。 = He cannot read books. (He is illiterate) 他_不_能_看_书。 = He cannot read books. (He is blind)
November 28, 2014
In my opinion, I think you can use 不會 and 不能 both. It's most importantly about the thoughts~ For example "Can't you drink?" 你不會/能喝酒嗎? Answer: 會,滿愛喝酒的 Yes, I like to drink. or 不會,容易醉所以不太會/能喝 No, i am easily get drunk so I can't drink much "You can't drink?" 你不會/不能喝酒嗎? Answer: 對,我不能喝 No, I can't. or 不會,我是會喝酒的 Yes, I can drink.
November 29, 2014
Sorry, there's nothing about 能 in this question. I deleted it because the content was too long. I have a separate question about 不能 now! :P
November 28, 2014
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!