Meaning and usage
Editorial draftBefore another verb, 会 () commonly describes knowing how to do something or expecting something to happen. It can also reassure or promise. Read the whole situation: a learned skill and a prediction can use the same structure. The noun meaning meeting or association is separate.
Knowing how to do something, commonly as a result of learning.
A speaker's expectation about what will happen.
Examples
我游泳。
I know how to swim.
明天下雨。
It will rain tomorrow.
多练习，你进步的。
Practise more and you will improve.
Word comparisons
会 and 要
会 () often expresses ability or expectation. 要 () can express wanting, needing, intention, or an approaching event. Both can refer to the future; the speaker's meaning and context decide.
Knowing how, or being able now?
会游泳 ( ) describes knowing how to swim. 今天不能游泳 ( ) can mean circumstances prevent swimming today, even if you know how. 能 () also has broader ability uses, so this is a useful contrast, not a strict division.
Learning a skill
学会 () emphasizes reaching the point of knowing how. 会 () can then describe the ability you have.
Word combinations
know how to speak Chinese
cannot swim
Sources & editorial notes
Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.
Source record: cd-3840c9bf49f760d4. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.
Original source entry:
會 会 [hui4] /can; to have the skill; to know how to/to be likely to; to be sure to/to meet; to get together/meeting; gathering/(suffix) union; group; association/(bound form) a moment (Taiwan pr. [hui3])/Additional explanations and examples are editorial drafts. They have not received independent linguistic review. Audio uses an available Mandarin device voice, and its quality varies.
Editorial revision: 2026-10-28.2. Examples use tone marks, including common changes in 一 and 不.
These sources support specific usage points. They do not verify every sentence or endorse this entry.
- Wenying Zhou, Elementary Chinese II
Cross-check of learned ability, expected events, and assurance. Original example sentences are retained, not quoted from the textbook.
Source material and teaching drafts have separate provenance. Long-term commercial licensing remains under review.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.
Source record: cd-0c15dcae89e69478. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.
Original source entry:
會 会 [kuai4] /(bound form) to reckon accounts/Source material and teaching drafts have separate provenance. Long-term commercial licensing remains under review.
Character information
Other forms in these source records: 會
Audio uses a Mandarin voice available on your device. For entries with several readings, the voice chooses the pronunciation.