може ли

Asking Permission with Може Ли

Level 1Sounds Like može li

Може ли means may I, could I have or is it OK: Може ли да седна? (May I sit down?)

How It Works

Може ли is the everyday way to ask for permission or to make a polite request. Може here is the it-form of мога, and ли turns it into a question.

Asking permission: може ли да + verb. The verb after да tells you who wants to act:

  • Може ли да седна? (May I sit down?)
  • Може ли да седнем? (May we sit down?)
  • Може ли да ми помогнете? (Could you help me?)

Asking for something: може ли + noun. In shops and cafés you can name what you want: Може ли една вода? (Could I have a water?) Може ли сметката? (Could we have the bill?)

On its own. Може ли? by itself means May I?, for example when you point at a free chair.

Answers. Може. or Да, разбира се. (Yes, of course.) says yes. Не може. says no.

You can add моля to sound even softer. For a very polite request, use бихте ли. Without ли, може да usually means that something may happen.

Examples (6)

  1. Може ли да седна?

    May I sit down?

    Word by Word: Is-it-possible question-particle that I-sit?

  2. Може ли една вода?

    Could I have a water?

    Word by Word: Is-it-possible question-particle one water?

  3. Може ли сметката, моля?

    Could we have the bill, please?

    Word by Word: Is-it-possible question-particle bill-the, please?

  4. Може ли да отворя прозореца?

    May I open the window?

    Word by Word: Is-it-possible question-particle that I-open window-the?

  5. — Може ли? — Да, разбира се.

    May I? — Yes, of course.

    Може ли can stand alone when the situation makes the request clear.

  6. Може ли да ми помогнете?

    Could you help me?

    Word by Word: Is-it-possible question-particle that me you-help?

    The verb помогнете shows that the other person is asked to act.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out да before the verb.

    Може ли седна?
    Може ли да седна?

    A verb after може ли always needs да before it.

  • Using the he or she form of the verb to ask May I sit down?

    Може ли да седне?
    Може ли да седна?

    Седне means he or she sits. To ask about yourself, use the I-form: седна.

  • Changing може to match the speaker.

    Мога ли една вода?
    Може ли една вода?

    Мога ли is not used with just a noun to ask for something. To ask for something by naming it, use the fixed form може ли, or add a verb: Мога ли да получа една вода?

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

може лиLevel 1Asking Permission with Може Ли

Learn This First

Asking permission combines мога with the particle ли.

Words in This Pattern

можемога