Online Mandarin Course: Can you speak Chinese?

 说 <shuō> to SAY, to SPEAK

你说什么？      

<Nǐ shuō shénme?>

You to say what?

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?

Translate: I SAY (that) THEIR DISHES ARE DELICIOUS.

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他说汉语吗？      

<Tā shuō hànyǔ ma?>

DOES HE SPEAK CHINESE?

他不说汉语。。。      

<Tā bù shuō hànyǔ. . .>

HE DOES NOT SPEAK CHINESE…

 只 <zhǐ> ONLY

 we place it IN FRONT OF THE VERB

。。。他只说英语。      

<. . . tā zhǐ shuō yīngyǔ.>

…HE ONLY SPEAKS ENGLISH.

Translate: I BOUGHT JUST A RED TEA.

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 会 <huì> to BE ABLE TO   

 中文 <zhōngwén> CHINESE LANGUAGE

你会说中文吗？      

<Nǐ huì shuō hànyǔ ma?>

CAN YOU SPEAK CHINESE?

Translate: CAN YOU COOK (to DO+FOOD)?

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 一点 <yīdiǎn> A BIT (used with something)

我会说一点中文。      

<Wǒ huì shuō yīdiǎn zhōngwén.>

I CAN SPEAK LITTLE CHINESE.

 一点点 <yīdiǎndian> A BIT (used alone)

我只会说一点点。      

<Wǒ zhǐ huì shuō yī diǎndiǎn.>

I only to be able to speak a little.

 说话 <shuōhuà> to SPEAK (话 is an object here)

Translate: HE IS SPEAKING NOW.

Translate: HE LIKES TO SPEAK.

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There is a special visual for the word A BIT…

会 <huì> TO BE ABLE TO, a GATHERING, a POTENTIAL

Human beings 人 meet with nature (represented by a cloud 云) and that forms a SKILL – people need to BE ABLE TO do stuff in order to survive in the wild.

But skills themselves aren’t enough. People need to GET TOGETHER, to MEET and share their skills.

You have already probably met this character in the meaning CAN, TO BE ABLE TO. 

We have learned something, so we can do it: speak Chinese, for instance.

我会说一点中文。

<Wǒ huì shuō yīdiǎn Zhōngwén.>  

I can speak a little Chinese.

Translate: Can you speak Chinese?

Translate: There are many people, who can speak Chinese.  

我会做生意。

<Wǒ huì zuò shēngyì.>  

I can do business.

会 is also part of words that have something to do with GATHERINGS.

晚会 <wǎnhuì> (evening-gathering) A PARTY

 Translate: In the evening we go to party to have fun. 

聚会 <jùhuì> A GATHERING

音乐会 <yīnyuè huì>  A CONCERT

议会 <yìhuì> A PARLIAMENT

会议 <huìyì> A CONFERENCE

开会 <kāihuì> (to open-gathering) TO HAVE A MEETING

Another function is an indication of A POTENTIAL, or of a POTENTIAL FUTURE.

他会喜欢。

<Tā huì xǐhuan.>  

He might like (it).

晚上可能会下雨。

<Wǎnshàng kěnéng huì xiàyǔ.> 

Perhaps it might rain in the evening.

Translate: There might be a lot of people at that party. 

More in the chapter FUTURE.

 会 is also part of the word OPPORTUNITY.

机会 <jīhuì> an OPPORTUNITY, a CHANCE

Translate: I’m very happy to have a chance to get to know you. 

The last important meaning is A WHILE, A MOMENT:

一会(儿) <yīhuì(r)> A MOMENT, A WHILE

请等一会。 

<Qǐng děng yīhuì.>  

Please wait a moment.