Telling 能, 会, and 可以 Apart

All three of these words translate as "can" in English, which is exactly why they cause so much trouble. The good news: each owns a different slice of "can," and once you learn which slice is which, picking the right one gets a lot easier. Here's the clean breakdown.

The core split

Start with the one-line version and we'll fill in the details:

• 会 — can because you learned how (a skill)
• 能 — can because you're able to right now (ability or possibility)
• 可以 — can because you're allowed to (permission)

Most of the time, one of these three meanings clearly fits, and that tells you which word to use.

会: a learned skill

Use 会 for things you can do because you studied or practiced them. Languages, swimming, driving, cooking. If it's a skill that had to be acquired, it's 会.

• 我会说中文。 — I can speak Chinese.
• 他会做饭。 — He can cook.
• 你会开车吗? — Can you drive?

Negate with 不会, meaning you never learned it:

• 我不会游泳。 — I can't swim. (I never learned)

If someone asks 你会不会弹钢琴? ("Can you play piano?"), they're asking whether you have the skill, not whether you're free right now.

能: ability or possibility in the moment

Use 能 when the question is whether circumstances allow it. Maybe you have the skill, but something right now affects whether you can actually do it. 能 also covers physical capacity and "is it possible."

• 我今天不能来。 — I can't come today. (I'm busy, not unable in general)
• 你能听到吗? — Can you hear me? (is it possible)
• 他能吃十个包子。 — He can eat ten dumplings. (capacity)

Here's the telling contrast. Imagine you broke your arm:

• 我会游泳,但是今天不能游。 — I can swim, but I can't swim today.

You still know how (会), but circumstances stop you right now (不能). That sentence shows the two words doing their separate jobs side by side.

可以: permission

Use 可以 when you're asking for or granting permission. The question isn't "are you able" but "is it allowed."

• 我可以进来吗? — May I come in?
• 你可以走了。 — You may go now.
• 这里可以拍照。 — Photos are allowed here.

可以 and 能 overlap a lot for permission, and you'll often hear either one. 这里能抽烟吗? and 这里可以抽烟吗? both ask "can I smoke here?" But 可以 leans more clearly toward permission, while 能 leans toward possibility.

The overlap zone (and how to handle it)

能 and 可以 genuinely blur when it comes to permission and possibility. Don't stress about getting it perfect there, both are usually understood. The cleaner distinctions are:

• For a skill, only 会 works. You can't swap in 能 or 可以.
  • ✅ 我会说英语。 ❌ 我能说英语。(wrong for "I have the skill")
• For permission, prefer 可以.
• For circumstance or possibility, prefer 能.

So the one boundary that's really firm is the skill one: learned abilities belong to 会 and nothing else.

Answering questions

A nice shortcut: when someone asks with one of these words, you usually answer with the same word.

• A: 你会游泳吗? — Can you swim?

• B: 会。/ 不会。 — Yes. / No.

• A: 我可以坐这儿吗? — Can I sit here?

• B: 可以。 — Sure.

• A: 你能帮我吗? — Can you help me?

• B: 能。/ 不能。 — Yes. / No.

Mirroring the word back is natural and saves you from having to pick a new one.

Quick reference

Question type	Word	Example
Do you have the skill?	会	你会做饭吗?
Are circumstances okay?	能	你今天能来吗?
Is it allowed?	可以	我可以问一下吗?

A quick recap

会 is for learned skills, 能 is for ability and possibility in the moment, and 可以 is for permission. The skill boundary is firm, so use 会 and only 会 for things you studied. 能 and 可以 overlap for permission and possibility, so don't worry too much there. And when someone asks using one of these words, just answer with the same one.