2025年1月13日 · "May" as a synonym of might (it may rain tomorrow) is also verging on the archaic, with "might" being far more usual. "Might" is actually the past tense/relic subjunctive form of "may": compare sister language Modern Dutch where this change didn't occur: "Ik MAG hier parkeren" - I can/may park here, with "Ik MOCHT hier parkeren" - I was allowed ...

2014年8月12日 · This may be the place means it's possible that this is the place. The other kind of modal meaning, called the Deontic sense, refers to obligation and permission, and is social, not logical. This is a case of deontic may, which refers to permission -- She may attend the ball, provided she keeps her shoes on all night.

2015年3月25日 · "May" is typically used for requests, but I will definitely side with WindowsDude7 right above! "Could" is definitely your best shot if you want to express politeness :) "Could" is definitely your best shot if you want to express politeness :)

2012年1月18日 · TO-MAY-TO, TO-MAH-TO. Meaning, It's really the same thing. It doesn't matter how you say it or if you use ...

I may go to the cinema is very similar to I can go the cinema, but as a native speaker, you know the difference between can and may being that between ability and permission or possibility. Furthermore, modern English, the semantics of can stretches to cover that of may (but only in the area of permission, rather than possibility).

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Nice question, +1. I think you're right even if they are pretty much interchangeable (consider the context!), and this is shown in the dictionary too.

2011年7月28日 · • A coupon issued to a customer by a store, guaranteeing that a sale item that is out of stock may be purchased by that customer at a later date at the same reduced price. PHRASES Take a rain check —said when politely refusing an offer, with the implication that one may accept it at a later date: I can’t make it tonight, but I’d like to ...

2019年2月28日 · Rusty Core, you seem to have misunderstood my comment. In this case, "continue" is correct. Some native speakers, in cases like this (though not specifically this one), would make the verb agree with the word that precedes the verb, but this would be incorrect.

Can is about ability, skills, knowing how to do things, whereas the word may comes from Proto-Germanic root mag-, infinitive maganan, from Proto-Indo-European magh-to be able, have power. May is about power, the position a person is in to grant or refuse another person permission to do something, says the Online Etymology dictionary.