Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

12 Modal verbs

Modal verbs occur before a verb and express the meanings of possibility, ability, permission,

obligation, and prohibition.

12.1 Expressing possibility: 会/會 huì

明天会下雨。

明天會下雨。

Míngtiān huì xià yǔ.

It may rain tomorrow.

我希望我们将来会有机会再见。

我希望我們將來會有機會再見。

Wǒ xīwàng wǒmen jiānglái huì yǒu jīhuì zài jiàn.

I hope that in the future we will have the chance to meet again.

Notice that this meaning of 会/會 huì also implies future time.

C36.3

12.2 Expressing ability

12.2.1 会/會 huì

会/會 huì expresses innate ability or ability based on learning and knowledge. The negative is

不会/不會 bù huì.

她会说中文。

她會說中文。

Tā huì shuō Zhōngwén.

She can speak Chinese.

我不会写那个字。

我不會寫那個字。

Wǒ bù huì xiě nàge zì.

I can’t write that character.

C52.1, 54.1.2