Question
Atualizado em
11 abr 2020
- Japonês
-
Bengali
-
Inglês (EUA)
Pergunta sobre Inglês (EUA)
Qual é a diferença entre may I 〜 e can I〜 ?Podes indicar apenas respostas exemplo.
Qual é a diferença entre may I 〜 e can I〜 ?Podes indicar apenas respostas exemplo.
Respostas
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- Inglês (EUA)
- Inglês (EUA)
But I’ll give you a example
May I have a cookie
Can I go to the pool
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- Vietnamita
- Can I help you? That means you're capable to help them and now just depend on their decision.
- May I help you? That means even you want, you're not sure to be capable to help them.
-> "May" has less chance to happen than "Can"
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- Inglês (EUA)
Both are asking if it is possible for something to happen.
Can is more regularly used to state if you have the ability to do.
Ex - I can do a back flip. - or - can you do a back flip.
“May I” is always related to asking for permission.
Ex - may I do a backflip.
Notice that you can not interchange “may” when saying you have the ability to do something.
Ex. I can do a back flip. - I may do a back flip.
In that case the difference is more obvious. Just because you “may be permitted” to do a backflip, does not mean you have the ability. And even though “you can do a back flip” does not mean you have permission to do it.
Ex 3 - “Tanaka asks the teacher “can I go to the bathroom”. The teacher replies “I don’t know, can you?”.
The student is annoyed at the joke the puts their hand up again. This time saying “may I go to the bathroom?”, and the teacher responds “yes you may”
This is an annoying joke almost everyone has heard in english speaking countries. But it illustrates the difference between “can” and “may.
I hope this helps.
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- Inglês (EUA)
May I go? like: Am I allowed to go?
行ってもいいですか?
Can I go? like: Am I (physically) able to go?
行けますか?
Many people say, "Can I," when they mean to say, "May I."
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- Inglês (EUA)
- Hindi
May is used specifically to seek permission and can is generic and includes both ability and permission.
ex: Can I pass this exam ?
May I use your phone ?
May is generally used in formal tone and can is generally used for informal tone.
May is considered to be more polite than can.
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- Inglês (EUA)
Both may sound like a question and asking for permission but “can” relates to one’s ability.
Imagine a classroom setting:
-Can I go to the bathroom? (Is incorrect because you are physically able to, but may not have the permission to do so)
-May I go to the bathroom? (Is correct because you are simply asking for permission to go)
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