<p>It would be more natural to say 「請幫我的咖啡加點糖。」or more directly 「請幫我加點糖。」(if you're pointing at your coffee, it'll be more natural)。 If you say 「在我的咖啡可以加糖吗？」, it sounds like you're asking if it is suitable to add sugar to your coffee. As a native Chinese speaker, this is my advice.
e.g. Could you please add more salt to this dish? Thank you. 
     幫我把這道菜加點鹽，謝謝。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-12T16:34:32.507Z
「帮我的咖啡」, really? I would never have guessed. But thanks for confirming my suspicions that my way doesn't sound natural!
user11315
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-13T04:51:37.993Z
@user11315 Regarding the specific use of 可以 in your original question, part of the unnaturalness is due it being the direct translation from the English 'can/could'. English speakers tend to make requests by asking whether something can or could be done, with the implication that the receiver would go ahead and perform the request if it was possible. Chinese speakers tend to be more to the point, and simply ask the receiver to do it for them. 请 (please), 帮我 (help me), or 麻烦你 (to trouble you) are often used to make it clearer that it's a request rather than a demand.
Claw
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-12T14:20:57.550Z
2015-07-13T00:58:20.457Z
2015-07-13T00:58:20.457Z
hsiaoyang
<p><em>you can say like this</em></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>" 可以给我的咖啡加点糖吗? "</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-13T02:08:43.897Z
2015-07-13T02:08:43.897Z
Jackdon Wang
<p>能给我的咖啡加点糖吗 or 可以给我的咖啡加点糖吗 
Could can be translated in 能 or 可以。and place the begin of the line.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-12T13:57:18.353Z
2015-07-12T13:57:18.353Z
stonecutter
<p>could you please add some sugar to my coffee?</p>
<p>1 可以往我的咖啡里加点儿糖吗？
2 可以在我的咖啡里加点儿糖吗?</p>
<p>Hope this can help.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-09T19:09:23.910Z
Both of these options feel quite contrived to me.
Buddy L
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-08T02:50:30.933Z
2022-04-08T02:50:30.933Z
Henry1968
<p>There are already a few answers above, esp., @stonecutter and maybe @jackdonwang as well. One thing about their answers is regarding &quot;可以&quot;, as @claw pointed out: it's not common for a native speaker to use 可以 in such scenarios.</p>
<p>Finally, regarding @hsiaoyang's answer. It's too long to add comments below his/her answer to I put them here:</p>
<p>Not sure where @hsiaoyang grew up, but it would be rare for native chinese speakers (including myself) from mainland to say the ways he/she suggested.  For us, &quot;請幫我的咖啡加點糖。&quot; is usually said as &quot;请给我的咖啡加点糖&quot; or &quot;请帮我给我的咖啡加点糖&quot; (maybe because it's not semantically right to say &quot;帮咖啡“？). And more importantly, &quot;在我的咖啡可以加糖吗？&quot; seems quite unnatural, or even ungrammatical -- I do not think I have ever heard, or would expect any mainland native speakers speaking that way. Lastly, &quot; 幫我把這道菜加點鹽&quot; also seems not quite natural for us (probably also never heard of); the closest way we say for the intended meaning is &quot;(请)帮我 <strong>给</strong> 这道菜加点盐&quot;. Other parts of @hsiaoyang seem to be fine.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-10T04:09:00.527Z
2022-04-10T04:09:00.527Z
ALife
<p>Another option: 请给我的咖啡里放一点糖。, or if the sugar comes in lumps or cubes: 请给我的咖啡里放一块糖。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-12T14:04:13.350Z
2015-07-12T14:04:13.350Z
imrek
<p>I'm wodering about the correct, or natural, way to say "could you please add some sugar to my coffee?"</p>

<p>My unnatural-sounding way would be 在我的咖啡可以加糖吗, but I feel like a Chinese speaker is unlikely to use 可以 in that direct of a way, and it seems like I need some word to indicate that I actually want it <em>in</em> my coffee. Any advice would be apprciated!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-06T05:21:11.353Z
Minimally modify your sentence: 在我的咖啡**里**可以加糖吗？ or 可以在我的咖啡**里**加糖吗？
xenophōn
<phrase>
Correct/natural way to say "在我的咖啡可以加糖吗？"
# Correct/natural way to say "在我的咖啡可以加糖吗？"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-12)

I'm wodering about the correct, or natural, way to say "could you please add some sugar to my coffee?"

My unnatural-sounding way would be 在我的咖啡可以加糖吗, but I feel like a Chinese speaker is unlikely to use 可以 in that direct of a way, and it seems like I need some word to indicate that I actually want it *in* my coffee. Any advice would be apprciated!

**Tags:** phrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Minimally modify your sentence: 在我的咖啡**里**可以加糖吗？ or 可以在我的咖啡**里**加糖吗？  

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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-07-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

It would be more natural to say 「請幫我的咖啡加點糖。」or more directly 「請幫我加點糖。」(if you're pointing at your coffee, it'll be more natural)。 If you say 「在我的咖啡可以加糖吗？」, it sounds like you're asking if it is suitable to add sugar to your coffee. As a native Chinese speaker, this is my advice.
e.g. Could you please add more salt to this dish? Thank you.
幫我把這道菜加點鹽，謝謝。

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 「帮我的咖啡」, really? I would never have guessed. But thanks for confirming my suspicions that my way doesn't sound natural!  
> **username_3**: @username_0 Regarding the specific use of 可以 in your original question, part of the unnaturalness is due it being the direct translation from the English 'can/could'. English speakers tend to make requests by asking whether something can or could be done, with the implication that the receiver would go ahead and perform the request if it was possible. Chinese speakers tend to be more to the point, and simply ask the receiver to do it for them. 请 (please), 帮我 (help me), or 麻烦你 (to trouble you) are often used to make it clearer that it's a request rather than a demand.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-07-13. Score: 4

*you can say like this*

> " 可以给我的咖啡加点糖吗? "


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### Answer by username_5 on 2015-07-12. Score: 3

能给我的咖啡加点糖吗 or 可以给我的咖啡加点糖吗
Could can be translated in 能 or 可以。and place the begin of the line.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2022-04-08. Score: 3

could you please add some sugar to my coffee?

1 可以往我的咖啡里加点儿糖吗？
2 可以在我的咖啡里加点儿糖吗?

Hope this can help.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Both of these options feel quite contrived to me.  

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### Answer by username_8 on 2022-04-10. Score: 1

There are already a few answers above, esp., @username_5 and maybe @username_4 as well. One thing about their answers is regarding "可以", as @username_3 pointed out: it's not common for a native speaker to use 可以 in such scenarios.

Finally, regarding @username_2's answer. It's too long to add comments below his/her answer to I put them here:

Not sure where @username_2 grew up, but it would be rare for native chinese speakers (including myself) from mainland to say the ways he/she suggested. For us, "請幫我的咖啡加點糖。" is usually said as "请给我的咖啡加点糖" or "请帮我给我的咖啡加点糖" (maybe because it's not semantically right to say "帮咖啡“？). And more importantly, "在我的咖啡可以加糖吗？" seems quite unnatural, or even ungrammatical -- I do not think I have ever heard, or would expect any mainland native speakers speaking that way. Lastly, " 幫我把這道菜加點鹽" also seems not quite natural for us (probably also never heard of); the closest way we say for the intended meaning is "(请)帮我 **给** 这道菜加点盐". Other parts of @username_2 seem to be fine.


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### Answer by username_9 on 2015-07-12. Score: -1

Another option: 请给我的咖啡里放一点糖。, or if the sugar comes in lumps or cubes: 请给我的咖啡里放一块糖。


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