How to say “may” in Chinese
may, can
“May” in Chinese is 可以, kě yǐ: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
可以 is read kě yǐ: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
Two third tones in a row: the first one is said as a second tone, but it is still written as a third.
How to write it
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “可以”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 可以. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 明天你可以来吗míngtiānnǐkěyǐláimaCan you come tomorrow?
- 这样写，可以吗？zhèyàngxiě,kěyǐmaIs it OK to write it like this?
- 我可以用一下你的手机吗？wǒkěyǐyòngyíxiànǐdeshǒujīmaCan I use your phone?
- 茶或者咖啡都可以。cháhuòzhěkāfēidōukěyǐTea or coffee — either is fine.
- 我可以试一下吗？wǒkěyǐshìyíxiàmaCan I try it on?
- 这儿可以刷卡吗？zhèrkěyǐshuākǎmaCan I pay by card here?
More words from the lesson “Making plans to meet”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “may” in Chinese?
“May” in Chinese is 可以, pinyin kěyǐ.
What does 可以 mean?
可以 (kěyǐ) means “may, can”.
How do you write 可以?
可以 is 2 characters: 可 (kě) — may, can; 以 (yǐ) — by means of. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 可以?
可以 is read kěyǐ. Tones: kě — third tone, yǐ — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“may” in the lesson “Making plans to meet”
This word is from the topic “Time and the day” of HSK 1. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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