Requests with Can and Could

What you’ll learn

Make everyday requests and ask permission with can and could.

ធ្វើសំណើប្រចាំថ្ងៃ និងសុំការអនុញ្ញាតដោយប្រើ can និង could។

Meaning and use

Can you...? asks someone to do something. Could you...? often makes the request more polite or less direct. Could in this use is not simply a past-time question. Can I...? and Could I...? ask permission. Use a base verb after the subject in these questions. Please can soften a request. Natural replies include Sure, Of course, and Sorry, I can’t. The best wording depends on the situation and relationship, not only the choice of can or could.

Can you...? ប្រើសុំឱ្យអ្នកផ្សេងធ្វើអ្វីមួយ។ Could you...? ជាញឹកញាប់ធ្វើឱ្យសំណើទន់ភ្លន់ និងគួរសមជាងមុន ហើយមិនមែនតែងតែសួរអំពីអតីតកាលទេ។ Can I...? និង Could I...? ប្រើសុំការអនុញ្ញាត។ ប្រើកិរិយាសព្ទទម្រង់ដើម និងអាចបន្ថែម please។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Ask someone to help	Can you help me, please?
A less direct request	Could you open the window, please?
Ask permission	Can I sit here? Could I use your pen?
Natural responses	Sure. / Of course. / Sorry, I can’t.

Examples

1. Can you help me, please?

   តើអ្នកអាចជួយខ្ញុំបានទេ?

2. Could you open the door, please?

   សូមជួយបើកទ្វារបានទេ?

3. Can I sit here?

   តើខ្ញុំអាចអង្គុយទីនេះបានទេ?

4. Could I use your pen?

   តើខ្ញុំអាចខ្ចីប្រើប៊ិចរបស់អ្នកបានទេ?

Everyday conversation

Dara: Could you pass me that book, please?

Maly: Of course. Here you are.

Dara: Thank you. Can I borrow it?

Maly: Yes, you can.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Could you to help me?	Could you help me?	Use help without to after could you.
Can I uses your pen?	Can I use your pen?	Use the base form use after can I.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Make a polite request with could: open the window.
2. Ask permission with can: sit here.
3. Complete: Could you ___ me, please? (help / helping)
4. True or false: Could you help me? must refer to the past.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Could you open the window, please?

   Could you + base verb is a common polite request pattern.

2. Can I sit here?

   Can I asks permission for the speaker.

3. help

   Use the base form after could.

4. False.

   Could can make a present request more polite or less direct.

Quick recap

• Can you and Could you can introduce requests.
• Can I and Could I ask permission.
• Use a base verb and consider the context when choosing polite language.