If I want to tell someone they can speak to me in Chinese, how can I say it?
My guess is:
你可以给我说用中文
Is this correct, and is there any other way to say it, for example using the 把 structure (i.e. 你可以把中文给我说)。 Is this correct???
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把 means the object is affected/changed as a result, so you can't use it here. You should just be able to say 我会说汉语 and people will get what you're after.– MingNov 20, 2014 at 6:19
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Thanks, but that's not what I'm looking for. There's an obvious difference between saying I can speak Chinese, and telling someone they can speak to me in Chinese (for example, if they already know I can speak Chinese). I don't want to settle for an alternative statement, because I'm sure there is a way to say what I want to say.– salamanderNov 20, 2014 at 6:34
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please speak English,please speak Chinese. The same– AbstProcDoDec 14, 2017 at 1:58
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在中国请说中国话🙂or 操，能说人话不。or,亲能说普通话不。– xuhongdaDec 14, 2017 at 16:07
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请说汉语吧 or something like this. Nobody speaks 中文，it's the word for the written language.– Vitaly OsipovJul 3, 2018 at 7:38
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7 Answers
你可以给我说用中文 is a little weird, you can change the order to 你可以用中文给我说. And you could just say 你可以说中文 or 你可以用中文说.
你可以把中文给我说 is wrong, it means You could say Chinese to me, not You could say sth in Chinese, Chinese become the object of say here, not the method. You could say 你可以用中文把xxx事情说给我.
你能跟我說中文
Or any of the following combinations in the same sentence.
- 能<-->可以
- 跟<-->與 （or 和 or 對）（給 has some regional flavours）
- 說<-->講
- 中文<-->漢語
If you insist in using "用"
你能用中文跟我說
- 說<-->對話
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Thanks for the great answer! I accepted the other one because it more directly answered my question, but this is really useful too! (And +1 for the 繁体 if I could ;)) Nov 20, 2014 at 9:37
There is a lot of ways to say "Chinese" in Chinese, 中文 is only one of them, and speak may also be translated with an other word, but since context in which you want to use it is clear, there is no need to further complicate this simple sentence.
As for the sentence itself you want to use, I would go with 你可以跟我说中文吗？
OK， there is no part that says "in Chinese" or "using Chinese", but there is nothing wrong with 说中文, even if there is no "preposition" or similar before 中文.
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Thanks, but I think are are some subtle differences between "Can you speak Chinese to me?" and "Can you speak to me in Chinese". That's what I was trying to get at with this question. Nov 20, 2014 at 9:43
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For example, the former sentence would be more appropriate for a situation in which I simply want to hear someone speak Chinese (for whatever reason), whereas the latter would be more applicable to a situation in which someone is already speaking to me (in another language) and I want them to speak Chinese instead. Nov 20, 2014 at 9:54
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@salamander You are overdoing this. Chinese is a context-based language. I tell you 100% they will understand what you mean either way.– imrekNov 20, 2014 at 10:24
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OK thanks, but you understand the point of this website is to learn new things, not to learn how to get away with using what I already know. Nov 25, 2014 at 3:46
你可以用中文给我说or你可以用中文给我说吗,你可以给我说中文。
If you want someone to speak to you in Chinese, you can simply just say that you know Chinese and that someone would naturally converse in Chinese with you.
"我会说中文" would mean I know how to speak in Chinese.
The most natural way to say it (preserving all context):
你可以跟我說中文。
You can speak with me in Chinese.
You may use these expressions:
- 说汉语/說漢語
- 说中文/說中文
- 讲汉语/講漢語
- 讲中文/講中文
- 讲國語/講國語
汉语/漢語: The language of the Han nationality
中文: The text of China
国语/國語: The national language (commonly seen in HK, TW)
Before the foundation of PRC, the government of ROC draw up the China's common language called 国语 (national language), later its name changes to 普通话/普通話 (universal common speech) in mainland China, but the name is still used in HK & TW. People in mainland China in these days prefer to use 说中文/說中文 or 讲中文/講中文, 说汉语/說漢語 and 讲汉语/講漢語 are commonly used in the past tens of years, but less used nowadays, it is still acceptable. The word 中文 is not suitable name in theory, for there are many languages in China.
