HEYGOW ASMR

Asking permission

10 phrases
HD
wǒ kěyǐ jìnlái ma?
我可以进来吗?
ENmay I come in?
HD
néng zuò zhèlǐ ma?
能坐这里吗?
ENmay I sit here?
HD
kěyǐ pāizhào ma?
可以拍照吗?
ENmay I take a photo?
HD
wǒ néng wèn yíxià ma?
我能问一下吗?
ENmay I ask something?
HD
kěyǐ yòng yíxià ma?
可以用一下吗?
ENmay I use it a moment?
HD
néng kāi chuāng ma?
能开窗吗?
ENmay I open the window?
HD
wǒ xiān zǒu kěyǐ ma?
我先走可以吗?
ENwould it be all right if I left first?
HD
zhèlǐ néng chōuyān ma?
这里能抽烟吗?
ENis smoking allowed here?
HD
dāngrán kěyǐ.
当然可以。
ENof course you may
HD
kǒngpà bùxíng.
恐怕不行。
ENI'm afraid not

可以 and 能 both ask permission and are largely interchangeable here, though 可以 leans on rules and 能 on ability. The pair worth memorising is the answer: 当然可以 grants it warmly, and 恐怕不行 - "I'm afraid not" - refuses without saying no, which is how a refusal is usually delivered.