How to Say ‘May I’ in Simplified Chinese
我可以
💬 Usage Tip: Literally [我] means 'I' and [可以] means 'can,' it's often used to request permission.
🇨🇳 In China: Politeness is important in Chinese culture, and using [我可以] is a respectful way to make requests.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
我
[wǒ]
I; me
First-person pronoun. Used to state what you want in a restaurant (我想… / 我要…).
我可以点一个清蒸鱼吗？
May I order a steamed fish?
可以
[kě yǐ]
can; may; be allowed to
Used to ask for permission or say something is possible. Very common when ordering: 我可以…吗？
我可以把这道菜做成少油吗？
Can I have this dish made with less oil?
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