How to Ask for Permission Politely in Spanish: 'May I' and 'Can I'
Learn to ask permission in Latin American Spanish with ¿Puedo...? and ¿Me permite...?, including polite forms, pronunciation, and a practical dialogue.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Asking permission is different from asking for an object. In Spanish, the everyday way to say 'May I...?' or 'Can I...?' is ¿Puedo...? followed by an infinitive: ¿Puedo abrir la ventana? ('May I open the window?'). For more formal situations, use ¿Me permite...? This lesson teaches both patterns, when to choose each one, and how to answer politely.
By the end, you can…
- ask permission with ¿Puedo + infinitive?
- use the more formal ¿Me permite + infinitive?
- ask about entering, sitting, opening, leaving, and taking something
- understand and give a polite yes or no answer
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Puedo abrir la ventana?
May I open the window?
PWEH-doh ah-BREER lah ben-TAH-nah
Everyday polite permission question. Use it with friends, family, classmates, and most service situations.
¿Puedo pasar?
May I come in? / May I go through?
PWEH-doh pah-SAHR
Said at a doorway or when you need to get past someone. Very common and neutral.
¿Puedo sentarme aquí?
May I sit here?
PWEH-doh sen-TAR-meh ah-KEE
The pronoun me attaches to the infinitive sentar. Use it in waiting rooms, cafés, or classrooms.
¿Me permite usar su teléfono?
May I use your phone?
meh per-MEE-teh oo-SAHR soo teh-LEH-foh-noh
Formal. Use su for 'your' with one person you address formally, or with more than one person.
¿Se puede fumar aquí?
Is smoking allowed here? / May one smoke here?
seh PWEH-deh foo-MAR ah-KEE
Impersonal se puede asks whether something is permitted in general, not for one specific person.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is ¿Puedo + infinitive? The verb puedo means 'I can' or 'I may,' and the infinitive names the action: ¿Puedo entrar? ('May I come in?'), ¿Puedo usar esto? ('May I use this?'), ¿Puedo salir temprano? ('May I leave early?'). For a more formal tone, use ¿Me permite + infinitive?: ¿Me permite entrar? ('May I come in?'). The usted form permite is polite and common in offices, clinics, and formal settings.
When to use it
Use ¿Puedo...? for everyday permission: ¿Puedo tomar agua? ('May I have some water?'), ¿Puedo hacer una pregunta? ('May I ask a question?'). Use ¿Me permite...? when speaking to someone older, a stranger, an official, or anyone you address as usted. To ask about a general rule, use ¿Se puede...?: ¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta? ('Can one pay by card?'). In Latin America, ¿Puedo...? is broadly understood and natural; ¿Me permite...? adds distance and respect.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenos días, ¿puedo pasar?
Good morning, may I come in?BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs, PWEH-doh pah-SAHRSí, claro. Pase, por favor.
Yes, of course. Come in, please.see KLAH-roh PAH-seh por fah-BORGracias. ¿Puedo sentarme aquí?
Thank you. May I sit here?GRAH-syahs PWEH-doh sen-TAR-meh ah-KEESí, siéntese. ¿Me permite su identificación?
Yes, have a seat. May I have your ID?see SYEN-teh-seh meh per-MEE-teh soo ee-den-tee-fee-kah-SYONA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, ¿Puedo...? is polite enough for most daily situations. ¿Me permite...? signals greater respect and is common with officials, older people, or in formal service encounters. Adding por favor ('please') and gracias ('thank you') keeps the tone warm, and a soft question intonation matters more than a literal translation of English 'may.'
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Puedo yo abrir la ventana? with an unnecessary subject pronoun, or translating 'May I' as ¿Puedo a abrir...?
Try this instead: Drop the subject pronoun and never put a between puedo and the infinitive. Say ¿Puedo abrir la ventana? The subject is clear from the verb ending, and the infinitive follows directly.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you politely ask 'May I come in?' at a doorway?
Show a sample answer
¿Puedo pasar?
This is the standard everyday expression. ¿Puedo entrar? is also correct and natural in many contexts.
2Make it more formal: 'May I use your phone?'
Show a sample answer
¿Me permite usar su teléfono?
Me permite is the formal usted form and su means 'your.' With a close friend, ¿Puedo usar tu teléfono? would be more natural.
3Ask whether smoking is allowed in general.
Show a sample answer
¿Se puede fumar aquí?
Se puede asks about a general rule or permission. ¿Puedo fumar aquí? is also possible but sounds more personal.
For everyday permission, use ¿Puedo + infinitive? For formal respect, use ¿Me permite + infinitive? Add por favor and gracias, and remember: no extra subject pronoun and no a before the infinitive.
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