Question
Updated on
23 Dec 2017
- Korean
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English (US)
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Question about English (US)
What is the difference between Can I~ and May I~ ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between Can I~ and May I~ ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
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- English (US)
When you're asking "Can I" usually it means "is it possible to do it?" Like, "Can I pass this test?" (is it possible to pass this test?).
And whenever you're asking "May I?" it's when you're asking permission.
"May I pet your cat?" (do I have permission to pet your cat?).
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- English (US)
- Filipino Near fluent
The difference between the two verbs is that one is more polite than the other. In informal contexts it's perfectly acceptable to use can; in formal situations it would be better to use may.
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- Korean
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