Chinese phrase
我可以现在〜吗？ wǒ ké yǐ xiàn zài 〜 ma
Meaning
Can I ___ now?
When to use it
Asks for permission to do something now. It is a polite, simple way to check before taking an action.
Example dialogue
我可以现在拍照吗？ wǒ ké yǐ xiàn zài pāi zhào ma
Can I take a photo now?
可以，不过请不要用闪光灯。 ké yǐ bú guò qǐng bú yào yòng shǎn guāng dēng
Sure, but please do not use the flash.