“Can I”, “Could I”, and “May I” are all polite ways to ask for permission in English. Of the three, “May I” is considered the most formal and is commonly used in situations where you are speaking to someone you do not know or when there is a large power gap between you and the person you are addressing.
“Can I” is more appropriate for semi-formal situations, while “Could I” is seen as being slightly more polite than “Can I” and is often used in more formal situations. However, in everyday conversation, the differences between these phrases are often negligible and they can be used interchangeably.
The video below would help you get more understanding on when to use them in our conversations.
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