At the library: may I sit here?

How to use these phrases

可以 (kěyǐ) often means 'may' or 'can' when asking permission. Use 我可以 + action + 吗？: 我可以坐这里吗？ means 'May I sit here?' Answer 可以 for permission, or 不可以 to refuse it. A refusal with an explanation usually sounds more helpful than a bare 不可以. To describe an action done at a place, put 在 + place before the action: 我可以在这里学习吗？ Do not copy the English order by putting 在这里 after 学习. 请不要 + action means 'Please do not…'; in 请不要在这里打电话, the location still comes before the action. In natural speech, 不 changes to a rising tone before fourth-tone 要, so the sentence Pinyin uses bú yào. The dialogue moves from choosing a seat to asking about phone calls. Read both parts aloud. Then ask permission to study here, change the action to 打电话, and give a polite answer. Listen to each sentence before repeating it at your own pace.

Example sentences