Can I...?
You want to leave work early today, and you want tomorrow off too. One of these requests is about to go great, and the other one is about to meet a meeting.
Ask the bossThe words — Can I...?
Zeeza is about to ask his boss for permission. Twice. This never goes well for anyone, ever.
Meaningmay I leave early?
오늘 일찍 가도 돼요? 고양이가 아파요.
May I leave early today? The cat is sick.
Meaningyes, you may / no, you may not
네, 돼요! 왜요? 고양이가 아파요.
Yes, you may! Why? The cat is sick.
MeaningI'm sorry, but
내일 쉬어도 돼요? 죄송하지만 안 돼요.
May I rest tomorrow? I'm sorry, but you may not.
Meaningwhy?
왜요? 내일 회의가 있어요. 그리고 고양이도 회의에 와야 해요.
Why? Tomorrow there's a meeting. And the cat has to come to the meeting too.
The scene — Can I...?
Zeeza wants to leave the office early. Nujoom, who is somehow the boss today, has a clipboard and zero chill.
- 오늘 일찍 가도 돼요?Can I leave early today?
- 네, 돼요!Yes, you may!
- 힐랄이 지금 와요.Hilal is coming now.
- 내일 회의가 있어요.There's a meeting tomorrow.
- 회의가 끝나요. 그리고 쉬어도 돼요?The meeting ends. And then may I rest?
The idea — Can I...?
To ask permission, add -도 돼요? to a verb you already know: 가요 becomes 가도 돼요? (may I go?) and 쉬어요 becomes 쉬어도 돼요? (may I rest?) — 네, 돼요 says yes, 아니요, 안 돼요 says no.
Next time you need an excuse, you've got one ready: 죄송하지만 buys you the apology, 왜요? buys you the reason.
Questions about Can I...?
How do you ask permission in Korean?
Add -도 돼요? to a verb you already know, like 가요 → 가도 돼요? (may I go?) or 쉬어요 → 쉬어도 돼요? (may I rest?).
How do you say yes or no to a permission question in Korean?
Say 네, 돼요 for yes, and 아니요, 안 돼요 for no.
How do you say 'I'm sorry, but' in Korean?
Use 죄송하지만, which means 'I'm sorry, but' and often comes before refusing a request.
How do you ask 'why?' in Korean?
Say 왜요? to ask why, often used after being refused permission.
You've seen the idea. Now make it stick.
The journey continues in Zeeza — free to start, made to adapt to how you learn.
- Hear it and choose
- Build the sentence
- Say it after the voice
- …and more, adapted to you