Questions & Answers about shéi kěyǐ gěi tā shuǐ?
What exactly does 可以 mean here? How is it different from 能 and 会?
- 可以: permission/acceptability or feasibility. 谁可以给她水？ = Who may/can (is allowed/available to) give her water?
- 能: capability or situational possibility. 谁能给她水？ = Who is able to give her water (e.g., has water/free hands)?
- 会: learned skill or likelihood/willingness. 谁会给她水？ often means “Who will (be the one likely/willing to) give her water?” It’s not about permission.
Why isn’t there 吗 at the end?
Do I need to say “some water”? Is bare 水 okay?
Bare 水 is understandable, especially in urgent or casual speech, but it’s more natural to indicate quantity:
- 谁可以给她点儿水？ (a little water)
- 谁可以给她一些水？ (some water)
- 谁可以给她一杯/一瓶水？ (a cup/bottle of water)
Is 给 a verb or a preposition here?
Here it’s the main verb “to give”: 给 + recipient + thing → 给她水.
It can also act like a preposition (“for/to”) before another verb: 给她拿水 (get water for her).
Alternate “give” wording: 把水给她 (put the water to her).
Where does 谁 go in the sentence?
It sits in the normal subject position: 谁可以给她水？
You can also emphasize with a cleft: 给她水的是谁？
But you cannot say 可以谁给她水.
How do I pronounce this (tones), and are there tone changes?
- 谁 shéi (2nd) — often heard as shéi (standard), also shuí (variant).
- 可以 kěyǐ (3rd + 3rd), but 3rd–3rd sandhi → pronounced kéyǐ (2nd + 3rd).
- 给 gěi (3rd).
- 她 tā (1st).
- 水 shuǐ (3rd).
Is 谁 pronounced shéi or shuí?
Do 她 and 他 sound the same? How do I know which one it is?
Why doesn’t Chinese change “she” to “her”? Is 她 the right form?
Chinese pronouns don’t change for case. 她 works as both subject and object:
- 她喝水。 (She drinks water.)
- 给她水。 (Give her water.) Use 她的 for “her + noun”: 她的水 (her water).
Should I add 喝 to show the water is for drinking?
Often yes for clarity/naturalness:
- 谁可以给她水喝？ (Who can give her water to drink?)
- 谁可以给她倒点水？ (Who can pour her some water?)
Can I use the 把 construction?
Yes, especially if referring to specific water:
- 谁可以把水给她？ This focuses on the water being given to her (the water is topical/known).
How do I ask this more politely or naturally in real life?
- 有谁能帮忙给她倒点水吗？ (Could someone help pour her some water?)
- 谁能不能给她拿点儿水？ (Can someone please get her some water?)
Adding 帮忙/麻烦 softens the request.
Where’s the “to” before “her”? Shouldn’t it be “to her”?
Chinese encodes “to” in the verb 给. The recipient follows 给: 给她水 = give her water.
Don’t say 给水她. If you want to put “water” first, use 把: 把水给她.
Can I drop the subject and make it a command?
Yes. Imperatives often drop the subject:
- 给她点水！
- 麻烦给她一杯水！
How would people answer this question?
- Volunteering: 我可以。/ 我来吧。/ 我来给她倒一杯。
- Negative/practical: 我不能。/ 我这儿没水。/ 我不方便。
Is spacing between characters normal in Chinese?
No. Standard Chinese writing has no spaces between characters/words. You’d write: 谁可以给她水？
Spaces are sometimes added in teaching materials for clarity.
How do I say “Anyone can give her water” or “No one can give her water”?
- Anyone: 谁都可以给她水。
- No one: 谁也不能给她水。
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