Chinese phrase
可以吗？ ké yǐ ma
Meaning
Is that okay?
When to use it
Asks whether something is okay or acceptable. It often checks permission or agreement before an action and has a polite, everyday tone.
Example dialogue
我们现在开始开会，可以吗？ wǒ men xiàn zài kāi shǐ kāi huì ké yǐ ma
Shall we start the meeting now?
可以，开始吧。 ké yǐ kāi shǐ ba
Sure, let's start.