A：May I ask a favor of you?
      请帮个忙好吗？

B：No Problem.
      没问题。

A：May I use your telephone?
      可以借一下电话吗？

may是什么意思

B：Sugar, please.
      好的。请用。

may什么意思

A：Hello. May I help you?
      您好，您有什么事吗?

B：Yes, I have an appointment with Mr. Port.
      是的，我已经和波特先生约好了。

1. 也许(会发生或出现);可能(会如此)
    You use may to indicate that something will possibly happen or be true in the future, but you cannot be certain.

    e.g. We may have some rain today...
           今天可能会下点雨。
    e.g. Rates may rise, but it won't be by much and it won't be for long...
           费率也许会提高，但幅度不会太大，时间也不会太长。

2. 有可能，也许(用于表示某事可能属实，但不确定)
    You use may to indicate that there is a possibility that something is true, but you cannot be certain.

    e.g. Civil rights officials say there may be hundreds of other cases of racial violence...
           负责民权事务的官员说可能还有数百宗种族暴力事件。
    e.g. Throwing good money after bad may not be a good idea, they say.
           他们说用钱砸不见得是个好主意。

3. 也许，可能(用于表示某事有时或在某些情况下属实)
    You use may to indicate that something is sometimes true or is true in some circumstances.

    e.g. A vegetarian diet may not provide enough calories for a child's normal growth...
           素食也许不足以提供一个孩子正常成长所需的热量。
    e.g. Up to five inches of snow may cover the mountains.
           山上的积雪可能厚达5英寸。

4. (与过去分词连用，用于表示有可能已经发生、属实或给出一个可能的解释)
    You use may have with a past participle when suggesting that it is possible that something happened or was true, or when giving a possible explanation for something.

    e.g. He may have been to some of those places...
           那些地方他也许去过一些。
    e.g. The chaos may have contributed to the deaths of up to 20 people...
           混乱可能导致多达20 人丧生。

5. 尽管，或许(用于承认情况属实，但同时与更重要的事情作比较)
    You use may in statements where you are accepting the truth of a situation, but contrasting it with something that is more important.

may的解释

    e.g. I may be almost 50, but there's not a lot of things I've forgotten...
           尽管我已经快到了知天命的岁数，但记忆却不那么糟糕。
    e.g. The elderly man may not be typical, but he speaks for a significant body of opinion...
           这位老人也许并没有代表性，但他所说的话却代表着相当一部分人的观点。

6. 可以(用于举出在需要时可以加以利用的某些特性、事实等)
    You use may when you are mentioning a quality or fact about something that people can make use of if they want to.

    e.g. The bag has narrow straps, so it may be worn over the shoulder or carried in the hand...
           这个包配有细带子，可以肩挎，也可以手拎。
    e.g. Some of the diseases of middle age may be prevented by improving nutrition.
           中年时期的一些疾病可以通过改善营养的方式来预防。

7. (通常根据规则或法律)可以/不可以
    You use may to indicate that someone is allowed to do something, usually because of a rule or law. You use may not to indicate that someone is not allowed to do something.

    e.g. Any two persons may marry in Scotland provided that both persons are at least 16 years of age on the day of their marriage...
           在苏格兰，如果双方均年满16岁就可以结婚。
    e.g. Adolescents under the age of 18 may not work in jobs that require them to drive.
           未满18岁者不得从事需要开车的工作。

8. 可以(表示准许或请求许可)
    You use may when you are giving permission to someone to do something, or when asking for permission.

    e.g. Mr Hobbs? May we come in?...
           霍布斯先生？我们可以进来吗？
    e.g. If you wish, you may now have a glass of milk...
           你想喝的话，现在可以喝一杯牛奶。

9. 可否(用于礼貌的请求)
    You use may when you are making polite requests.

    e.g. I'd like the use of your living room, if I may...
           可以的话，我想用一下你的起居室。
    e.g. May I come with you to Southampton?...
           我可否与您共赴南安普顿？

10. 可以,能否（通常用于问句中，表示提出礼貌的建议、请求等)
    You use may, usually in questions, when you are politely making suggestions or offering to do something.

    e.g. May we suggest you try one of our guest houses...
           可否请您体验一下我们的客房？
    e.g. May we recommend a weekend in Stockholm?...
           我们可以提议在斯德哥尔摩度周末吗？

11. 可以(用于有礼貌地插话、提问或引入话题等)
      You use may as a polite way of interrupting someone, asking a question, or introducing what you are going to say next.

      e.g. 'If I may interrupt for a moment,' Kenneth said...
             “能打搅一下吗，”肯尼思说。
      e.g. Anyway, may I just ask you one other thing?...
             不管怎样，我可以再问您一个问题吗？

12. 也许会，可能会(用于提及别人对自己所说的话可能会有的反应或态度)
      You use may when you are mentioning the reaction or attitude that you think someone is likely to have to something you are about to say.

      e.g. You know, Brian, whatever you may think, I work hard for a living...
             布赖恩，你知道，不论你怎么看，我都是在为生计而拼命工作。
      e.g. You may consider it useless, but for our customers it's an all-important sign of good service.
             您也许会认为这样毫无用处，可是对于我们的客户而言，它却是优质服务的重要体现。

13. 不妨说,可以说(用于强调)
      You use may in expressions such as I may add and I may say in order to emphasize a statement that you are making.

      e.g. They spent their afternoons playing golf—extremely badly, I may add—around Loch Lomond...
             他们下午都在洛蒙德湖边打高尔夫——顺便提一句，球技糟透了。
      e.g. Both of them, I may say, are thoroughly reliable men.
             可以说，他俩都是绝对可靠的人。

14. (以便)能，可以（使某事发生）
      If you do something so that a particular thing may happen, you do it so that there is an opportunity for that thing to happen.

      e.g. ...the need for an increase in the numbers of surgeons so that patients may be treated as soon as possible...
             需要增加外科医生的人数，以便患者能够及早得到救治
      e.g. The door is shut so that no one may overhear what is said.
             门关着，这样没人能听见说话的内容。

15. 祝;但愿
      People sometimes use may to express hopes and wishes.

may什么意思

      e.g. Courage seems now to have deserted him. May it quickly reappear.
             他现在似乎失去了勇气，但愿他能很快重新振作起来。

16. be that as it may -> see be
      may as well -> see well