How to Say ‘May I’ in German
Darf ich
darf ikh
[darf ikh]
💬 Usage Tip: In yes-no questions, the verb comes first: [Darf ich ...?], [Kann ich ...?], [Muss ich ...?]. This is an easy pattern to reuse for polite requests.
Phrase Breakdown
Darf
[darf]
may / am allowed to
A form of 'dürfen' used to ask permission politely.
Darf ich etwas fragen?
May I ask something?
ich
[ikh]
I
First-person singular pronoun.
Darf ich jetzt trinken?
May I drink now?
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