<p>There are many ways to ask this. Some examples:</p>

<ul>
<li>您能给我们俩照一张相吗?<br>
<em>nín néng gĕi wǒ men liă zhào yì zhāng xiàng ma?</em></li>
<li>您能帮我们拍个照吗?<br>
<em>nín néng bāng wǒ men pāi ge zhào ma?</em></li>
<li>您可以给我们照张相吗？<br>
<em>nín kĕ yĭ gĕi wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng ma?</em> </li>
<li>请问，您可以帮我们照张相吗？<br>
<em>qĭng wèn, nín kĕ yĭ bāng wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng ma?</em></li>
<li>麻烦您给我们照张相<br>
<em>má fan nín gĕi wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng</em> </li>
<li>麻烦你，帮我们照张相，好吗？<br>
<em>má fan nǐ， bāng wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng，hǎo ma?</em></li>
</ul>

<p>照张相 means to take a picture, so does 拍照（片）。 You can both use 能 and 可以. 帮（助） means to help. 我们俩 means the two of us. 给 is here a proposition.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-05T14:10:47.237Z
You can also invite them to do so (请) or ask if you can inconvenience/trouble (麻烦) them, too. 
I.e. (能)[请/麻烦][你／您] + preposition + noun phrase + 吗.
Krazer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-12T15:36:16.910Z
拍个照 is used much more often than 照张相 in my personal experience. 照张相 sounds a bit old fashioned, young people usually say 拍个照. Also, if you're starting a question with 可以, mostly you finish it with 吧?
Hans Z
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-05T13:41:24.583Z
2012-07-05T17:24:05.767Z
2012-07-05T17:24:05.767Z
BertR
<p>Recently on vacation I wanted to ask a Chinese tourist if they would mind taking a photo of my wife and I - but I didn't know how, so just asked <code>你可以吗? (nǐ kěyǐ ma?)</code> while pointing to my camera.</p>

<p>How should I ask this in future?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-05T13:30:29.757Z
+1 Good question... Is 可以 a verb?
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-05T13:40:08.703Z
I think it is a verb ...
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-05T17:19:32.167Z
Yes, technically a modal verb
Cocowalla
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-06T02:52:40.027Z
This makes no sense to me actually. I expect an action after 可以.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-06T07:33:33.497Z
Well, if I'd known what verb to use I would have used it. But I didn't, so I just said 你可以吗? :P
Cocowalla
<mandarin><translation>
How to ask someone to take a photo?
# How to ask someone to take a photo?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-07-05)

Recently on vacation I wanted to ask a Chinese tourist if they would mind taking a photo of my wife and I - but I didn't know how, so just asked `你可以吗? (nǐ kěyǐ ma?)` while pointing to my camera.

How should I ask this in future?

**Tags:** mandarin, translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: +1 Good question... Is 可以 a verb?  
> **username_2**: I think it is a verb ...  
> **username_0**: Yes, technically a modal verb  
> **username_3**: This makes no sense to me actually. I expect an action after 可以.  
> **username_0**: Well, if I'd known what verb to use I would have used it. But I didn't, so I just said 你可以吗? :P  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-07-05. Score: 11

There are many ways to ask this. Some examples:

* 您能给我们俩照一张相吗?  
  *nín néng gĕi wǒ men liă zhào yì zhāng xiàng ma?*
* 您能帮我们拍个照吗?  
  *nín néng bāng wǒ men pāi ge zhào ma?*
* 您可以给我们照张相吗？  
  *nín kĕ yĭ gĕi wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng ma?*
* 请问，您可以帮我们照张相吗？  
  *qĭng wèn, nín kĕ yĭ bāng wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng ma?*
* 麻烦您给我们照张相  
  *má fan nín gĕi wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng*
* 麻烦你，帮我们照张相，好吗？  
  *má fan nǐ， bāng wǒ men zhào zhāng xiàng，hǎo ma?*

照张相 means to take a picture, so does 拍照（片）。 You can both use 能 and 可以. 帮（助） means to help. 我们俩 means the two of us. 给 is here a proposition.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: You can also invite them to do so (请) or ask if you can inconvenience/trouble (麻烦) them, too.  I.e. (能)[请/麻烦][你／您] + preposition + noun phrase + 吗.  
> **username_6**: 拍个照 is used much more often than 照张相 in my personal experience. 照张相 sounds a bit old fashioned, young people usually say 拍个照. Also, if you're starting a question with 可以, mostly you finish it with 吧?  

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