Learning Chinese: How to Ask "Can You Speak English?" in Chinese
Chinese Characters: 会说英语吗?
Pinyin: Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?
Pronunciation: hwei4 shuo1 ying1yu3 ma5
English Translation: Can you speak English?
Usage:
"你会说英语吗? (Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?)" is a polite way to ask someone if they can speak English in Chinese. It is commonly used in situations where you are not sure if the person you are speaking to understands English.
Example:
Chinese: 你好,你会说英语吗?
Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo, huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?
English: Hello, can you speak English?
Variations:
There are a few variations of "你会说英语吗? (Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?)" that you may hear:
你说英语吗?(Nǐ shuō yīngyǔ ma?): A more direct way to ask if someone speaks English.
听得懂英语吗?(Tīng de dǒng yīngyǔ ma?): Literally means "Can you understand English?"
Tips for Learning:
Practice saying "你会说英语吗? (Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers asking "Can you speak English?" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "你会说英语吗? (Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.
Additional Notes:
"你会说英语吗? (Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?)" is typically used in formal settings.
To ask "Can you speak English?" in a more informal setting, you can say "你会说英文吗? (Huì shuō yīngwén ma?)".
If you are asking for help from someone who does not speak English, you can say "对不起,我不懂中文。你会说英语吗? (Duìbùqǐ, wǒ bù dǒng zhōngwén。Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?)", which means "Excuse me, I don't understand Chinese. Can you speak English?"
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