Chinese phrase
我可以先〜吗？ wǒ ké yǐ xiān 〜 ma
Meaning
Can I ___ first?
When to use it
This politely asks to do something before something else. It is common in everyday conversation when the speaker wants permission to act first.
Example dialogue
我可以先看一下菜单吗？ wǒ ké yǐ xiān kàn yí xià cài dān ma
Can I take a look at the menu first?
当然可以，你慢慢看。 dāng rán ké yǐ nǐ màn màn kàn
Of course, take your time.