can1

 
Pronunciation: /kan/

modal verb (3rd singular present can; past could /kʊd/)

  • 1be able to: they can run fast I could hear footsteps he can’t afford it
  • be able to through acquired knowledge or skill: I can speak Italian
  • have the opportunity or possibility to: there are many ways holidaymakers can take money abroad
  • [with negative or in questions] used to express doubt or surprise about the possibility of something’s being the case: he can’t have finished where can she have gone?
  • used to indicate that something is typically the case: antique clocks can seem out of place in modern homes he could be very moody
  • 2be permitted to: you can use the phone if you want to nobody could legally drink on the premises
  • 3used to request someone to do something: can you open the window? can’t you leave me alone?
  • used to make a suggestion or offer: we can have another drink if you like

Origin:

Old English cunnan 'know' (in Middle English 'know how to'), related to Dutch kunnen and German können; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin gnoscere 'know' and Greek gignōskein 'know'

Is there any difference between may and can when used to request or express permission, as in may/can I ask you a few questions? Many people feel that can should be reserved for expressions denoting capability, as in can you swim?, rather than for those relating to permission. May is, generally speaking, a politer and more formal way of asking for something, and is the better choice in more formal contexts.