In Mandarin, the words 能 (néng) and 要 (yào) work together in cool ways. They help us talk about what someone can do, if they can do it, and what they want to do. Let’s break it down:

1. Talking About Ability and Wanting:

   • 能 (néng) means you are able to do something.
     For example:
     我能游泳 (Wǒ néng yóuyǒng) means "I can swim."
   • 要 (yào) shows what you want to do.
     For example:
     我想要游泳 (Wǒ xiǎng yào yóuyǒng) means "I want to swim."

2. Making More Detailed Sentences:

   • You can put these words together.
     For example:
     我能游泳，但我也要学潜水 (Wǒ néng yóuyǒng, dàn wǒ yě yào xué qiánshuǐ) means "I can swim, but I also want to learn to dive."

3. Talking About Limitations:

   • You can use both words to show what you can’t do.
     For example:
     我不能游泳，但我要参加比赛 (Wǒ bùnéng yóuyǒng, dàn wǒ yào cānjiā bǐsài) means "I can’t swim, but I still want to join the competition."

When we know how 能 (néng) and 要 (yào) work together, we can understand characters better. It helps us see what they can do and what they really want.