How to Say “Do you speak English?” in Chinese
Getting around
"Do you speak English?" in Chinese is 你会说英语吗？ (Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?). 会 (huì) specifically means 'know how to / have the skill,' which is exactly right for languages; don't use 能 (néng) or 可以 (kěyǐ) here. In Mainland people say 英语 (Yīngyǔ), while Taiwan and Hong Kong Cantonese speakers prefer 英文 (Yīngwén); both are correct but 英文 sounds slightly more casual in the Mainland.
Primary translation
你会说英语吗？
Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?
Traditional: 你會說英語嗎？
Variants by register
Formal
请问您会说英语吗？
Qǐngwèn nín huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?
Casual
你会讲英语吗？
Nǐ huì jiǎng Yīngyǔ ma?
When to use it
会 (huì) specifically means 'know how to / have the skill,' which is exactly right for languages; don't use 能 (néng) or 可以 (kěyǐ) here. In Mainland people say 英语 (Yīngyǔ), while Taiwan and Hong Kong Cantonese speakers prefer 英文 (Yīngwén); both are correct but 英文 sounds slightly more casual in the Mainland. Southerners often use 讲 (jiǎng) instead of 说 (shuō) for 'speak.' Realistically, outside major hotels and tourist zones, expect the answer to be 一点点 (yì diǎndiǎn, a little bit) or 不会 (bú huì).
Example sentences
不好意思，你会说英语吗？
Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?
Excuse me, do you speak English?
我只会一点点中文。
Wǒ zhǐ huì yì diǎndiǎn Zhōngwén.
I only speak a little Chinese.
这里有会说英语的人吗？
Zhèlǐ yǒu huì shuō Yīngyǔ de rén ma?
Is there anyone here who speaks English?
Related phrases
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