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会 (huì): Learned Skills, Confident Predictions, and Plain Future

ChinesePath · Updated September 8, 2026

会 huì is a modal verb (能愿动词) with three distinct jobs, and context alone decides which one is on duty: a learned skill ("can, know how to"), a confident prediction ("will surely"), and a plain future ("will"). English speakers who map 会 to "can" get the first job right and then mistranslate the other two — 明天会下雨 is not about the sky's abilities. Like all Chinese modal verbs, 会 stands before the main verb, negates with 不, and makes questions with 会不会.

Job 1: learned ability — "know how to"

会 marks a skill acquired by learning (or innate know-how):

• 她会说汉语。Tā huì shuō Hànyǔ. (She can speak Chinese.)
• 他会修电脑。Tā huì xiū diànnǎo. (He knows how to fix computers.)
• 你会开车吗？Nǐ huì kāi chē ma? (Can you drive?)
• 我不会游泳。Wǒ bù huì yóuyǒng. (I can't swim — never learned.)

The contrast with 能 is the classic exam question: 我会游泳 says I possess the skill; 我能游泳 says conditions permit me to swim today (my health, an available pool). Skill → 会; circumstances → 能.

Job 2: confident prediction — "will surely"

会 asserts a judgment about what is (or was) likely, based on what the speaker knows:

• 明天会下雨。Míngtiān huì xià yǔ. (It's going to rain tomorrow.)
• 你会成功的。Nǐ huì chénggōng de. (You will succeed.) — prediction 会 loves to close with the assuring particle 的
• 事情不会那么简单。Shìqing bù huì nàme jiǎndān. (It won't be that simple.)
• 这件事他不会不知道。Zhè jiàn shì tā bù huì bù zhīdào. (He can't not know — he surely knows.) — double negative

In this job, 不会 means "cannot be the case, impossible": 他这个人不会骗你的 (he's not one to deceive you). And 会不会 asks about likelihood: 你说他会不会已经走了？(Do you think he might have left already?)

Job 3: plain future — "will"

Sometimes 会 carries no skill and no guesswork — just future time:

• 我明天会去。Wǒ míngtiān huì qù. (I'll go tomorrow.)

Chinese does not require a future marker (我明天去 is complete), so this 会 adds a mild note of commitment or certainty rather than tense.

Question and negation patterns

• A-not-A question: 你会不会说汉语？Nǐ huì bù huì shuō Hànyǔ? (Do you speak Chinese?)
• Negation is symmetric: 不会 — but note it negates whichever job is active: lack of skill (我不会游泳), or impossibility (明天不会下雨的 — it won't rain, don't worry).

会 vs 能 vs 可以 in ten seconds

The three overlap at the edges (能 and 可以 trade places freely in many sentences), but the anchors above hold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 会 mean "can" or "will"?

Both, in different jobs: with skills it is "can / know how to" (我会游泳); about future events it is "will (surely)" (明天会下雨, 你会成功的). The sentence's subject and topic tell you which reading applies.

What is the difference between 会 and 能?

会 marks a learned skill; 能 marks that ability or circumstances permit the action here and now. 我会游泳 — I know how to swim; 我能游泳 — I'm able to swim (today, in this situation). For permission, 能 and 可以 take over; skill stays with 会.

What does 不会 mean?

Depending on the active job: "doesn't know how" (他不会开车 — he can't drive) or "won't / can't possibly" (他不会骗你 — he wouldn't deceive you; 不会吧 — no way!).

Why do predictions with 会 often end in 的?

The sentence-final 的 adds assurance — the speaker vouches for the statement: 你会成功的 (you WILL succeed), 我会好好对你的 (I will treat you well, I promise). 会…的 is the standard confident-promise frame.

How do I ask "can you…?" with 会?

Either 吗 or the A-not-A form: 你会开车吗？/ 你会不会开车？Both ask about the skill; the A-not-A version cannot take 吗.