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# may

«may» in Mova's school dictionary: **allowed: you may go out** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

modal verb (may; past/softer: might; may not); noun (May, the month; may, a tree)

### meaning for a pupil

1) May means something is allowed: you may go out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m1)

2) May means something is possible: it may rain. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m2)

3) May is used for polite requests: may I come in? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m3)

4) May is the fifth month of the year, with 31 days. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m4)

5) May (or hawthorn) is a tree with white spring flowers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m5)

6) (formal) «May» is used for wishes: «May you have a long life.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m6)

7) (formal, exam, rules) «May» states what is permitted by a rule: «Candidates may use a calculator»; «may not» means it is forbidden. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m7)

8) (casual) In quick talk «may» is often replaced by «can» or «might»: «can I go?», «might rain»; «may as well» means there is no reason not to. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#m8)

### sense in the lessons

In maths it is a word of possibility in the question, or a month of 31 days: as a month, a daily amount × 31; «may take 2 each» is a limit per person (multiply). In everyday life: «May I...?» is polite asking; in the north May is late spring, in Australia and NZ late autumn. «May the best team win.» In the exam voice: «Candidates may assume that…», «it may be assumed that». In casual talk: «may as well», «you might wanna». Phrases: «may I», «may as well», «be that as it may», «come what may».

### examples

- You may use a ruler. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x1)
- She saved 1 dollar a day in May. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x2)
- May has 31 days. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x3)
- Each child may take 2 sweets. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x4)
- May I go to the toilet, please? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x5)
- It may snow tonight, so wear a hat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x6)
- Our school sports day is in May. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x7)
- You may not run in the corridor. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x8)
- The birds come back in May. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x9)
- bus is late again, may as well walk (casual) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x10)
- Can I go? — You may not, and don't ask again. (rough, strict) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x11)
- Candidates may assume that each month of May comprises 31 days; compute the aggregate saving at one dollar per day. (formal exam) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/#x12)

### note

«May» never takes -s or «to»: she may go (not «she mays», not «may to go»). «May» (allowed) is more polite than «can». «Maybe» (one word) means perhaps; «may be» (two words) is the verb. The month takes a capital M. Maths: May has 31 days. Trap: «may» is a permission or a chance, not a certain amount. «May not» can mean «not allowed» or «perhaps not»: «You may not go» (forbidden) vs «It may not rain» (perhaps not). «May as well» (casual) = there is no better choice.

### In the corpora

- [While a parent is unemployed the family may claim benefits and cut spending; free fun like parks and libraries helps.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/4-when-work-goes-wrong/9/)
- [Tenants who cannot get a repair done may complain more than once or ask the council for help.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/11-when-things-break/12/)
- [Much housework is invisible, like booking appointments and planning meals, so each grown-up may not see what the other does.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/12-cars-chores-and-the-shopping-list/14/)
- [A parent sleeping on the sofa for a few nights may mean a disagreement, or something simple like snoring or a bad back.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/14-grown-ups-who-argue-and-make-up/12/)
- [Separating means parents stop living together as a couple; it may lead to a divorce, but not always straight away.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/15-when-parents-separate/6/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «may» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/may/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.