Help Phrases · Beginner

How to Ask ‘Can You Help Me?’ in Chinese

One polite question that works whenever you are stuck.

Quick answer

Use 你可以帮我吗？to ask for help politely, then say what you need.

你可以帮我吗？

nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma?

Can you help me?

Hear the phrase, then repeat it aloud.

When to use it

Use it when you need help with a word, a menu, directions, or anything else. Follow it with your actual question.

Do not drop 吗 at the end. It is what turns the sentence into a yes-or-no question.

Read each conversation from top to bottom.

nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma? 你可以帮我吗？ Can you help me?

kěyǐ. shénme shì? 可以。什么事？ Sure. What is it?

zhège zěnme dú? 这个怎么读？ How do you pronounce this?

Practise the question with a real request behind it. Asking for help in Mandarin is also a friendly way to start a conversation.

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