Chinese phrase
我可以〜吗？ wǒ ké yǐ 〜 ma
Meaning
Can I ___?
When to use it
Asks politely whether the speaker may do something. It is a common way to make a simple request.
Example dialogue
我可以 借你的笔 吗？ wǒ ké yǐ jiè nǐ de bǐ ma
Can I borrow your pen?
可以，给你。 ké yǐ gěi nǐ
Sure, here you go.