EXPRESSING ABILITY AND POSSIBILITY

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48.1.3Expressing physical ability

To express physical ability or the unobstructed ability to perform an action use néng.

!"#$%&' "()*$!"#$%&' "()*$

Wn de shqntm bù hko. Dàifu shus wn bù néng yóu ynng.

My health is not so good. The doctor said I cannot swim.

!"#$%&'()*!"#$%&'()*

Tp yrtipn néng zuò shí jm gè xikoshí de shì.

He can work more than ten hours a day.

When used to express ability, néng, like / huì, can be modified by intensifiers such as hln ‘very,’ zhqn ‘really,’ or tài ‘too.’

!"#$%!"#$%

Zhsngguórén hln néng chr ko.

Chinese can endure a lot of hardship.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn de nu’ér zhqn huì hup qián.

My daughter can really spend money.

Í10.3, 12.2.2

48.2Expressing possibility

48.2.1Expressing the likely occurrence of an event

To express possibility or the likelihood of the occurrence of an event, as in ‘will, could possibly,’ or ‘would probably,’ use the modal verb / huì.

Q:!"#$%&'(')*+ A: !"#$%&'()*

!"

!"#$%&'(')*+ !"#$%&'()*!"

Í12.1, 32.3

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48.2.2Expressing feasibility

The modal kéym is also sometimes used to express the feasibility of an event.

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49

Expressing desires, needs, preferences, and willingness

49.1Expressing desires

To express a desire for something to happen, say:

xRwàng ‘to hope’

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Wn xrwàng wnmen ynu jrhuì zài jiàn.

I hope we have the chance to meet again.

yào ‘to want’

!"#!"#

Tp yào kàn tp moqrn.

She wants to see her mother.

!"

Tp yào huí jip.

She wants to go home.

pànwang ‘hope for, long for’ (+ VP)

!"##$%&!"##$%&

Moqrn tipntipn pànwàng gqge huí lai.

Mother hopes every day that older brother will come back.

qRwàng ‘to expect’

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn qrwàng néng zkorì huí guó.

I hope I can return to my home country soon.

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qrwàng can also be used as a noun:

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Fùmo duì háizi de qrwàng hln dà.

Parents have great hopes and expectations for their children.

(The expectations of parents regarding their children are very big.)

To express a desire for something, say:

yào ‘to want’

!"#$!"#$

Tp yào yr liàng xrn chq.

He wants a new car.

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Xiko gnu è le, yào chr dsngxi.

The little dog is hungry and wants to eat something.

49.2Expressing needs

To indicate that you need something, say:

xTyào ‘to need’

!"#$%&

Tp xtyào pnwèi hé liáojil.

He needs comfort and understanding.

!"#$%!"#$%

Wn xtyào nm de bpngzhù.

I need your help.

dLi [+ verb] ‘to need [to do]’

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Zhège tpng dli dus jip dikn yán.

This soup needs a little more salt.

(This soup needs (for us) to add a little more salt.)

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Wnmen dli wknshang shí dikn dào jip.

We need to be home by 10 p.m.

Í12.4, 46.1

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49.3Expressing preferences

To indicate a preference, say:

/ níngkL ‘to prefer’

!"#$%&'()*%+$,!"#$%&'()*%+$,

Wnmen níngkl zài jip chr fàn, bù yuànyi qù fàngukn chr.

We’d prefer to eat at home. We do not want to go to a restaurant to eat.

!"#$%&'()!"#$%&'()

Tp níngkl sm, yl bù yuànyi qtfú.

He’d prefer to die, and he is not ready to surrender.

/ piPn’ài ‘favor, be partial to somebody or something’

!"#$%&'()*!"#$%&'()*

Lkoshr bù yrnggpi pipn’ài mnu yr gè xuésheng.

The teacher should not be partial to any student.

/ qíngyuàn ‘would rather’

!"#$%&'($)*+%&,!"#$%&'($)*+%&,

Wn qíngyuàn yr bèizi bù jiéhtn, yl bù yào gqn tp jiéhtn.

I’d rather be single all my life than marry him.

49.4Expressing willingness

To indicate willingness, say:

/ yuànyi ‘to be willing’

!"#$!"#$

Wn yuànyi jiàgli tp.

I am willing to marry him.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn bù yuànyi jiàgli biéren.

I don’t want to marry anyone else.

!"#$%!"#$%

Wn yuànyi gqn nm hézuò.

I am willing to cooperate with you.

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