How to Say ‘May I see it?’ in Japanese
拝見できますか？
haiken deki masu ka
[HAI-ken deki mahs kah]
💬 Usage Tip: 拝見 (haiken) is a humble word for "see" or "look at". The speaker lowers their own action to show respect. You'd never use it about someone else's looking.
Phrase Breakdown
拝見
haiken
[HAI-ken]
to see (humble)
Humble verb for looking at something; staff use it politely with customers.
パスポートを拝見します。
May I see your passport.
でき
deki
[deki]
can do; be able to
Potential form element showing ability or possibility, from できる.
今後も相談でき たらうれしいです。
I would be happy if we could consult in the future too.
ます
masu
[mahs]
polite verb ending
A polite ending attached to verbs in formal everyday speech.
ありますは丁寧な言い方です。
Arimasu is a polite way of saying it.
か
ka
[kah]
question particle
か is placed at the end of a sentence to mark it as a question in polite Japanese.
先生ですか。
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