可以拍照吗？
kěyǐ pāizhào ma?
May i take photos · trad. 可以拍照嗎？
可以拍照吗？ (kěyǐ pāizhào ma) is a polite and direct way to ask for permission to take photos. It is commonly used in museums, temples, or other public places where photography rules might be unclear.
What does 可以拍照吗？ (kěyǐ pāizhào ma?) mean?
可以拍照吗？ (kěyǐ pāizhào ma?) means “may I take photos” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “can take photos question particle.”
When to use it
Neutral and polite. To be more formal, you can add 请问 (qǐngwèn, “excuse me”) at the beginning. If you want to ask if flash photography is allowed, you would ask 可以用闪光灯吗？ (kěyǐ yòng shǎnguāngdēng ma).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “ker-YEE pie-ZHOW mah.” The tones are a third tone, then a rising second tone, followed by two falling fourth tones, and a neutral tone for 吗.
Other ways to say it
- 可以拍一张照片吗？kěyǐ pāi yī zhāng zhàopiàn ma?May I take one photo?
- 这里可以拍照吗？zhèli kěyǐ pāizhào ma?Can I take photos here?
- 请问，可以拍照吗？qǐngwèn, kěyǐ pāizhào ma?Excuse me, may I take photos?
Examples
请问，可以拍照吗？
qǐngwèn, kěyǐ pāizhào ma?
Excuse me, may I take photos?
这里很美，可以拍照吗？
zhèli hěn měi, kěyǐ pāizhào ma?
It's beautiful here, may I take photos?
对不起，这里不可以拍照。
duìbuqǐ, zhèli bù kěyǐ pāizhào.
Sorry, no photos allowed here.
Pro tip: Often, places that prohibit photography are actually banning flash photography (闪光灯 shǎnguāngdēng), not photos without flash. It's good to clarify if needed.
Related phrases
今天开门吗？ · Are you open today营业到几点？ · How late are you open帮我拍张照好吗？ · Could you take a photo for me
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