<p>Sorry to pour cold water on your enthusiasm, but there is nothing special about 会.</p>
<p>It's not uncommon that a character/word can be used as both a normal verb and an auxiliary verb—and sometimes even as something else!</p>
<p>For example, consider the following verbs. In the examples they are not auxiliary verbs, but independent normal verbs. And please note that they can also, in other contexts, play the role of auxiliary verbs. In that case they must be followed by verbs or adjectives.</p>
<p><strong>会</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>会英文</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>得(dé)</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>这件事办成了你也会得些好处</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>该</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>下面该你发言了</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>可</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>这回倒可了他的心了</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>肯</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>我劝说了半同天，他才肯了</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>配</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>配马<br />
配颜色</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>要</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>他要一台电脑</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>愿</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>愿你早日康复</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>愿意</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>他们愿意你留在这里</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-12T05:00:39.207Z
2022-03-12T07:50:30.007Z
2022-03-12T07:50:30.007Z
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
<p>The other answers are right. Here 会 is not an auxiliary verb. It is a normal verb meaning &quot;know/know how to do&quot;.</p>
<p>会 can be used before other nouns other than languages. Examples:</p>
<ul>
<li>我会这道题</li>
<li>我会两出京戏</li>
<li>他会仰泳</li>
<li>他会十以内加减法</li>
</ul>
<p>See the definition from 现代汉语词典:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZCvLx.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZCvLx.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-12T14:36:57.030Z
2022-03-13T01:59:49.157Z
2022-03-13T01:59:49.157Z
Betty
<p>According to BCLCU's Chinese Grammar for Foreigners, auxiliary verbs cannot be followed directly by nouns. This makes sense with most auxiliary verbs, but there is one glaring exception: 会 when referring to languages &quot;他不会中文“. Are there any other examples? And what is the reason behind very specific exception to the rule that aux verbs aren't directly followed by nouns?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-11T18:58:15.287Z
会(know) in 他不会中文 is a verb. 会(would) in 我会再來 is an auxiliary (modal) verb, 來 is the verb in this sentence. 他不会中文  basically means - "他不会(用)中文“ 用 = 說看寫
Tang Ho
<grammar><usage>
What is the semantic history of 会？
# What is the semantic history of 会？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-03-11)

According to BCLCU's Chinese Grammar for Foreigners, auxiliary verbs cannot be followed directly by nouns. This makes sense with most auxiliary verbs, but there is one glaring exception: 会 when referring to languages "他不会中文“. Are there any other examples? And what is the reason behind very specific exception to the rule that aux verbs aren't directly followed by nouns?

**Tags:** grammar, usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 会(know) in 他不会中文 is a verb. 会(would) in 我会再來 is an auxiliary (modal) verb, 來 is the verb in this sentence. 他不会中文  basically means - "他不会(用)中文“ 用 = 說看寫  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-03-12. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Sorry to pour cold water on your enthusiasm, but there is nothing special about 会.

It's not uncommon that a character/word can be used as both a normal verb and an auxiliary verb—and sometimes even as something else!

For example, consider the following verbs. In the examples they are not auxiliary verbs, but independent normal verbs. And please note that they can also, in other contexts, play the role of auxiliary verbs. In that case they must be followed by verbs or adjectives.

**会**

> 会英文

**得(dé)**

> 这件事办成了你也会得些好处

**该**

> 下面该你发言了

**可**

> 这回倒可了他的心了

**肯**

> 我劝说了半同天，他才肯了

**配**

> 配马  
> 配颜色

**要**

> 他要一台电脑

**愿**

> 愿你早日康复

**愿意**

> 他们愿意你留在这里


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-03-12. Score: 0

The other answers are right. Here 会 is not an auxiliary verb. It is a normal verb meaning "know/know how to do".

会 can be used before other nouns other than languages. Examples:

* 我会这道题
* 我会两出京戏
* 他会仰泳
* 他会十以内加减法

See the definition from 现代汉语词典:
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ZCvLx.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ZCvLx.png)


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