Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 125 of 240

New here? This is lesson 125 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

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What I can do in Traditional Chinese

A-Jie has a scooter ready, but Maya has never learned to ride one. A-Li says he can ride, though his solution needs two seats.

Learn to say what you can do, what you cannot do well, and what feels easy or hard. You can also ask someone about a skill.

Then talk about Maya's Chinese, swimming, cooking, and scooter abilities. The neighbors are helpful, even when A-Li's answer is unusual.

By the end of this lesson

Say what you can and cannot do, ask about someone's ability, and describe whether something feels easy or hard.

  • 我會說一點中文I can speak a bit of Chinese.
  • 我不太會游泳I can't swim very well.
  • 我很會做菜I'm good at cooking.
  • 你會騎機車嗎？Can you ride a scooter?
  • 這對我來說很簡單This is easy for me.
  • 這對我來說很難This is hard for me.

Scene — a scooter lesson

A-Jie has parked his scooter outside Banyan Breakfast and offers Maya a lesson. She is still learning Mandarin and would rather walk than risk a ride.

A-Li joins them, saying he can ride a scooter, but he needs two seats. The conversation turns to the things each person can do well.

Outside Banyan Breakfast in the morning, A-Jie offers Maya a scooter lesson while she turns toward the walking lane, and A-Li the yak arrives carrying two stools.

Learn — talking about abilities

These six lines help you describe an ability, ask if someone can do something, and rate how easy it feels.

Listen for 會 before an action, and notice how 不太 makes a negative statement less absolute.

  1. Maya makes a small modest gesture while talking with Auntie Lin at the breakfast shop, showing she can speak a bit of Chinese.

    我會說一點中文

    I can speak a bit of Chinese.

    When to use it: Use this to describe your ability to speak some Chinese.

    會 before an action describes a learned ability.

    Say it: 會 has a clear falling fourth tone here.

  2. Maya pulls her hands back from swimming goggles and a towel that A-Jie holds out, showing she cannot swim very well.

    我不太會游泳

    I can't swim very well.

    When to use it: Use this to say you have limited ability at swimming.

    不太 softens the negative, so it means not very well.

    Say it: 不 changes to a rising second tone before fourth-tone 太.

  3. Maya cooks an egg pancake at the shop with easy, practiced motions while Auntie Lin watches.

    我很會做菜

    I'm good at cooking.

    When to use it: Use this to say you are skilled at cooking.

    很會 before an action means being very good at it.

    Say it: 會 has a clear falling fourth tone here.

  4. From behind Maya, A-Jie points at his parked scooter and asks whether she can ride it.

    你會騎機車嗎？

    Can you ride a scooter?

    When to use it: Use this to ask whether someone knows how to ride a scooter.

    會 before an action asks about a learned ability.

    Say it: 騎 has a rising second tone.

  5. A-Li the yak stands beside the parked scooter with two stools ready, showing that riding is easy for him.

    這對我來說很簡單

    This is easy for me.

    When to use it: Use this to say something feels easy for you.

    對我來說 means from my point of view.

    Say it: 「簡」 is third tone; 「單」 is first tone.

  6. Maya stands in profile beside the parked scooter and turns toward the lane, showing that riding would be hard for her.

    這對我來說很難

    This is hard for me.

    When to use it: Use this to say something feels difficult for you.

    對我來說 means from my point of view.

    Say it: 難 has a rising second tone.

Story — Maya and the scooter

A-Jie asks Maya whether she can ride his scooter, and A-Li offers his own unusual answer.

Back at Banyan Breakfast, the neighbors compare skills over cooking and Mandarin. Maya is honest about what still feels hard.

  1. Auntie Lin早安，瑪雅！Good morning, Maya!
  2. Maya你好。Hello.
  3. A-Jie你會騎機車嗎？Can you ride a scooter?
  4. Maya這對我來說很難。This is hard for me.
  5. A-Li我會騎機車，不過要兩個座位。I can ride a scooter, but I need two seats.
  6. A-Jie你會游泳嗎？Can you swim?
  7. Maya我不太會游泳。I can't swim very well.
  8. Auntie Lin瑪雅，你會做菜嗎？Maya, can you cook?
  9. Maya我很會做菜。I'm good at cooking.
  10. Auntie Lin煎蛋餅對你來說簡單嗎？Is making an egg pancake easy for you?
  11. Maya這對我來說很簡單。This is easy for me.
  12. Auntie Lin你會說中文嗎？Can you speak Chinese?
  13. Maya我會說一點中文。I can speak a bit of Chinese.

Practice — share what you can do

Try ten short exercises about speaking Chinese, cooking, swimming, and riding a scooter.

Choose the line that matches the situation, then listen again and say it aloud.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我會說一點中文

  2. What do you say?

    A friend asks whether you swim well; explain that you do not swim very well.

  3. Build the line

    I'm good at cooking.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    I can't swim very well.

    我不太會____

  5. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我會說一點中文Drop the English here
    我不太會游泳Drop the English here
    我很會做菜Drop the English here
    這對我來說很簡單Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Traditional Chinese, or tap one and then the other.

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Pick the reply

    A-Jie says:

    你會騎機車嗎？

    Can you ride a scooter?

    And you reply with:

  8. What do you say?

    You are good at making egg pancakes and want to say it feels easy for you.

  9. What do you say?

    Greet Auntie Lin at the breakfast shop in the morning.

  10. What does it mean?

    你好

Say it — talk about your skills

You are Maya, talking with A-Jie, Auntie Lin, and A-Li around Banyan Breakfast.

Listen to each question or prompt, then answer with a line about your abilities. Speak the final line aloud to complete the conversation.

  1. A-Jie asks whether Maya can ride his scooter.
  2. A-Jie你會騎機車嗎？Can you ride a scooter?
  3. Maya (you)Say that scooter riding is hard for you.

    這對我來說很難

    This is hard for me.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我會說一點中文I can speak a bit of Chinese.
我不太會游泳I can't swim very well.
我很會做菜I'm good at cooking.
你會騎機車嗎？Can you ride a scooter?
這對我來說很簡單This is easy for me.
這對我來說很難This is hard for me.
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