不会 vs 不能: what is the difference?
不会 means you do not know how, or it will not happen. 不能 means you are not able to at the moment or you are not allowed to.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不会 | bú huì | Says you do not know how to do something, or that something will not happen. | Subject + 不会 + Verb |
| 不能 | bù néng | Says the situation does not allow it, or that you are not permitted to do it. | Subject + 不能 + Verb |
不会 (bú huì)
Says you do not know how to do something, or that something will not happen.
Structure: Subject + 不会 + Verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我不会开车。 | Wǒ bú huì kāi chē. | I cannot drive. |
| 他不会说法语。 | Tā bú huì shuō fǎ yǔ. | He cannot speak French. |
| 明天不会下雨。 | Míng tiān bú huì xià yǔ. | It will not rain tomorrow. |
Not: 我生病了，今天不会游泳。 You do know how to swim, but being ill stops you today. That is a situation, so use 不能: 我生病了，今天不能游泳。
不能 (bù néng)
Says the situation does not allow it, or that you are not permitted to do it.
Structure: Subject + 不能 + Verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 图书馆里不能大声说话。 | Tú shū guǎn lǐ bù néng dà shēng shuō huà. | You cannot talk loudly in the library. |
| 我感冒了，不能喝冰水。 | Wǒ gǎn mào le, bù néng hē bīng shuǐ. | I have a cold, so I cannot drink iced water. |
| 明天我有事，不能去。 | Míng tiān wǒ yǒu shì, bù néng qù. | I have something on tomorrow, so I cannot go. |
Not: 我不能说日语。 If you never learned Japanese, say 不会: 我不会说日语。 不能 would mean you are not allowed or not able right now.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Modal Verbs: 会 and 能 (HSK 1) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 和 vs 跟 · 想 vs 要 · 在 vs 有 · 不敢 vs 不能 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 不会 and 不能?
不会 means you do not know how, or it will not happen. 不能 means you are not able to at the moment or you are not allowed to.
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