How to Say ‘May I’ in German
Darf ich dir
darf ikh deer
[darf ikh deer]
💬 Usage Tip: After [darf ich], German often puts the person right away: [Darf ich dir ...], [Darf ich Ihnen ...]. That pattern is handy for polite offers and requests.
Phrase Breakdown
Darf
[darf]
may
Used to ask permission politely, as in 'may I.'
Darf ich dir helfen?
May I help you?
ich
[ikh]
I
First-person singular pronoun.
Darf ich dir einen Drink ausgeben?
May I buy you a drink?
dir
[deer]
you
Indirect object form of informal 'you'; here it means 'for you' or 'to you.'
Darf ich dir etwas bestellen?
May I order something for you?
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