会 vs 能 vs 可以 + Verb

会 (huì) vs 能 (néng) vs 可以 (kěyǐ) — three kinds of 'can'

会 = know how to, a learned skill: 我会说汉语 (I can [know how to] speak Chinese). 能 = physically/practically able to, given circumstances: 我今天不能来 (I can't come today [I'm busy/sick]). 可以 = allowed to, permission: 我可以进来吗？(May I come in?). They overlap in casual speech, but for HSK 1 the safest rule: skills → 会, ability/circumstance → 能, permission → 可以.

Examples

我会游泳。
wǒ huì yóu yǒng
I know how to swim.
我今天很忙，不能去。
wǒ jīn tiān hěn máng, bù néng qù
I'm very busy today, I can't go.
这里可以拍照吗？
zhè lǐ kě yǐ pāi zhào ma
Can I take photos here?

Common mistake

✗ Wrong: 我不会来，因为我生病了。

✓ Right: 我不能来，因为我生病了。

Being unable to come due to circumstances (sickness, being busy) uses 不能, not 不会 — 不会 would mean you never learned how to come, which doesn't make sense here.

Practice this pattern

Fill in the missing character:

我＿游泳。

I know how to swim.