To say you can do something, or to ask politely whether you may, add -ebil/-abil to the verb stem (after a vowel, -yebil/-yabil) and then the usual tense and person endings: gel-ebil-ir-im, I can come. In a question, -ebilir miyim? is the everyday way to ask permission in a shop or a café.
Examples
- Türkçe konuşabilirim.
- I can speak Turkish.
- Bunu deneyebilir miyim?
- May I try this on?
- Kartla ödeyebilir misiniz?
- Can you pay by card?
The mistake to avoid
The negative drops the -bil: gelemem (I can't come), yapamaz (he can't do it), not gelebilmem.
Where this fits in
Alışveriş, Turkish A2: Shop for clothes and food: ask to try things on, talk about sizes, colours, prices and quantities.