poder - can - may

[lluvia]

Can You All Help With The Word
"may".

I Have Found That One Can Use The Word "poder"
Or "can" For "may"
But Sometimes The Word "poder" Doesnot Seem Appropiate.

For Example,what Should One Write In The Following Case---
"we May Walk Side By Side"
Does This Go---
"podemos Andar Juntos"

Can You All Also Mention Some Sites Which Will Help Me To Clear
The Uses Of "may"

Thank You So Much.

 

[el_novato]

Can: Yo puedo (poder que depende de mí)
May: Yo puedo (esto depende de la "casualdidad" circunstancia, o de una autorización).

It may rain: Puede que llueva.
May I ask a question? ¿Puedo hacer una pregunta?.

Saludos.

 

[dave]

Can You All Help With The Word
"may".

For Example,what Should One Write In The Following Case---
"we May Walk Side By Side"
Does This Go---
"podemos Andar Juntos"

I think it depends what you actually mean when you use the word may. In English may has multiple meanings. Your example, we may walk side by side, could mean either of the following:

We have permission to walk side by side
It is possible that we will walk side by side

Therefore I think that the Spanish translation would be different in each case. The second might be:

Quizás andaremos juntos.

 

[calzetin]

Te digo una diferencia entre may y can a la hora de preguntar. Es cuestión de si en castellano tutearías o no a la persona.

Can I borrow your book? Puedo tomar prestado tu libro?

May I borrow you book? Puedo tomar prestado su libro?

 

[22caps]

Another thing to remember with the whole "may" debate is that the word "may" often serves as the English equivalent to the spanish subjunctive since the subjunctive has virtually disappeared in English. For example, "Come what may" in English is translated as "Pase que pase" from the word "pasar"... in this case "to happen". Dave also brought up a good point, however I think in his example he should have used the subjunctive after quizas. The subjunctive is usually used after tal vez, quizas, etc. for the same reason as the above example: the subjunctive adds the doubt into the situation achieved in English through the word "may".