Chinese phrase
〜可以吸烟吗？ 〜 ké yǐ xī yān ma
Meaning
Can I smoke in ___?
When to use it
Asks whether smoking is allowed in a particular place. It is a polite way to check the rules before smoking, with the place named or understood.
Example dialogue
这里 可以吸烟吗？ zhè lǐ ké yǐ xī yān ma
Can I smoke here?
不行，这里是无烟区，请到外面吸烟。 bù xíng zhè lǐ shì wú yān qū qǐng dào wài miàn xī yān
No, this is a no-smoking area. Please smoke outside.