Chinese phrase
我可以用〜一下吗？ wǒ ké yǐ yòng 〜 yí xià ma
Meaning
Can I use ___ for a moment?
When to use it
A polite way to ask permission to use something briefly. It is common in simple requests between friends, classmates, or family members, and sounds gentle rather than demanding.
Example dialogue
我可以用你的彩笔一下吗？ wǒ ké yǐ yòng nǐ de cái bǐ yí xià ma
Can I use your colored pencils for a moment?
可以啊，给你。 ké yǐ a gěi nǐ
Sure, here you go.