May I Or Can I
“Can I” or “May I”? Which should we use? – Speakspeak
1. May is more formal than can when asking for and giving permission: May I speak to Mr Jones, please? 2. We use may when we want to sound more polite: May I offer you another drink, sir? 3. We see or hear may, not can, in official announcements, and on signs: Hotel guests may use the gym from 6 a.m. May vs. can = formal vs. informal
https://speakspeak.com/grammar-articles/can-i-or-may-i-which-should-we-use
Can vs. May: How to Use Them | Merriam-Webster
It was a verb that originally meant “to know,” and then “to know how to do something,” and then “to have the ability to do something.” This last meaning, which showed up around 1300, was can’s first semantic overlap with may. The overlap continued: by 1500, both can and may were used to refer to ability and possibility.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-to-use-can-and-may
Difference between May I and Can I | May I vs Can I - BYJUS
Though ‘May I’ or ‘Can I’ are used to ask questions, they aren’t the same thing. Though most people use these words interchangeably, it is recommended that one uses them in the proper context. The word ‘May I’ is used to ask for permission and is in use for a longer time in English. For example, “May I come to visit you?”
https://byjus.com/english/difference-between-may-i-and-can-i/
Can I, Could I, May I? - VOA
May is the most formal way to ask for permission. The distinction between can and may is slowly disappearing in English. These days, is not always clear if may is being used to express permission...
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/everyday-grammar-modals-permission-can-may/2877141.html
Should I use "Can I", "Could I", or "May I"? - PhraseMix.com
In traditional English grammar, "Can I...?" was not used for asking permission. That's changed in the last 50 years, though. These days, it's the most common of the three expressions. May I...? "May I...?" is the most formal way to ask for permission in English.
https://www.phrasemix.com/answers/should-i-use-can-i-could-i-or-may-i
Can vs. May: Difference and Examples - Grammar Monster
"Can" can also be used to express permission. For example: You can stroke the ponies but not goats. (Here, "can" expresses permission. "Can" tends to be used for permission among friends or in an informal setting.) More about "May" The word "may" is a modal auxiliary verb used to denote permission. For example: You can swim in this river.
https://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/can_may.htm
Can vs. May: What’s the Difference? - Writing Explained
This, of course, was an instructional exercise on the part of the teacher, who was attempting to instill the difference between expressing one’s physical ability and a request for permission: the difference between may I vs. can I. When to Use May May is also an auxiliary verb and is used to denote possibility or permission.
https://writingexplained.org/can-vs-may-difference
Can vs. May in Simple Terms - YourDictionary
Can and may are both modal verbs that express mood when used with main verbs. However, whether they are interchangeable or not depends on whether the context requires classic usage or modern speech. The traditional definitions of each word are: Can: Indicates that someone has the ability to do something
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/vs/can-vs-may-in-simple-terms.html
Can vs. May - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Can vs. May Although, traditionally, can has meant “to be able” and may has meant “to be permitted” or to express possibility, both can and may are commonly used interchangeably (especially in spoken, informal language) in respect to permission.
https://www.grammarbook.com/blog/definitions/can-v-may/
May I〜 と Can I〜 の意味と違い｜許可を求める英語表現 | DMM英会話ブログ
May I〜 と Can I〜 への自然な返事の仕方 May I〜 と丁寧に聞かれた場合、同じく丁寧に答えるのが自然です。 この場合は、 Certainly（もちろんです・いいですよ） や Of course（もちろんいいですよ） などと返すのが良いでしょう。 Can I〜 で聞かれた場合は、May I〜 ほど丁寧に返事する必要はないので、 Sure（いいとも・もちろん） や Go ahead（どうぞ） などがよく使われます。 もちろん、May I〜 の質問に対して Sure や Go ahead で返答しても間違いではありませんが、Certainly や Of course の方がよりフォーマルであることは覚えておいてください。
https://eikaiwa.dmm.com/blog/expressions/expression/may-i-can-i/
May I? Can I? Shall I? Will I? - Standard American English
May versus Can “ Can ” means “ to be able .” The “Little Engine that Could” kept saying “I think I can, I think I can.” It’s all about what is possible. “ May ” means “ to be allowed ” or “ to have permission .” In a slightly different context, it can mean “ might ,” as in “I may go to the store tomorrow.”
https://nativetongue.net/may-i-can-i-shall-i-will-i/
Can, could or may ? - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary
When we talk about possibility, we use can, could and may, but they are different in meaning. Compare Permission We use can, could and may to ask for permission. We use can and may, but not could, to give permission. May is less common: Compare Requests When we make requests, we can use can or could (but not may). Could is more polite than can:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/can-could-or-may