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I think I can say like this 你还能说中文吗 to ask whether someone still can speak Chinese or not. But I doubt about the word can.

It seems like the following words can all mean can:

Which word is the most common use for the word can?

2 Answers 2

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"你还说中文吗?" = "Can you still speak English?" (have the ability/ able to to speak Chinese)

"你还说中文吗?" = "Can you still speak Chinese?" (allowed to speak Chinese)

"你还说中文吗?" = 1. "Can you still speak Chinese?" (know how to speak Chinese) 2. "Would you still speak Chinese?" (willing to/ would speak Chinese)

Although 会 can mean 'know how to' or 'would', "你还会说中文吗?" is still the most native way to say "Can you still speak Chinese", and "你还说中文吗?" is also grammatical

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  • 可 is never used like this in modern colloquial Mandarin, though. It would be 可说 instead, unless in archaic style or a set phrase like 无话可说. Nov 6, 2020 at 16:22
  • 可 is more May than Can.
    – O Connor
    Dec 2, 2020 at 14:44
  • What should 你还可能说中文吗 mean? Sometimes, I saw people use both 可能 in one sentence.
    – O Connor
    Dec 2, 2020 at 14:46
  • 你还可能说中文吗 (can you still possibly speak Chinese)? is an odd question to ask. 那个人可能会中文 (that person may know Chinese) would be a valid sentence
    – Tang Ho
    Dec 2, 2020 at 17:12
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你还会说中文吗? is the best way to ask: Can you still speak Chinese?

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