你会说...
nǐ huì shuō...
Do you speak · trad. 你會說...
你会说... (nǐ huì shuō...) is the standard way to ask if someone can speak a particular language in Mandarin Chinese. It directly translates to "you can speak..." and is followed by the name of the language.
What does 你会说... (nǐ huì shuō...) mean?
你会说... (nǐ huì shuō...) means “do you speak” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “you can speak.”
When to use it
Neutral and polite. It's suitable for most situations. To be more specific, you can add the language directly after 说, e.g., 你会说英语吗? (Do you speak English?).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "nee HWEY shwor..." The first character 你 (nǐ) is a third tone, and 会 (huì) is a fourth tone, followed by 说 (shuō), a first tone.
Other ways to say it
- 你会说英语吗？nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?Do you speak English?
- 你会讲中文吗？nǐ huì jiǎng Zhōngwén ma?Do you speak Chinese? (using 讲, another verb for 'speak')
- 你懂英语吗？nǐ dǒng Yīngyǔ ma?Do you understand English? (often used interchangeably)
Examples
请问，你会说中文吗？
qǐngwèn, nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?
Excuse me, do you speak Chinese?
你会说一点点英语吗？
nǐ huì shuō yī diǎndiǎn Yīngyǔ ma?
Do you speak a little English?
他会说法语和德语。
tā huì shuō Fǎyǔ hé Déyǔ.
He can speak French and German.
Pro tip: The character 会 (huì) here means 'can' or 'to be able to' (often learned through study or practice), which is why it's used to ask about language ability.
Related phrases
你会说中文吗? · Do you speak chinese你会说英语吗 · Do you speak english美女 · Hello beautiful
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