How to say “Can I take photos here?” in Chinese
“Can I take photos here?” in Chinese is 这里可以拍照吗？, written in pinyin as Zhèlǐ kěyǐ pāizhào ma?.
这里可以拍照吗？
Zhèlǐ kěyǐ pāizhào ma?
Can I take photos here?
Word by word
What each part of 这里可以拍照吗？ actually means.
- 这里zhèlǐhere
- 可以kěyǐmay / can
- 拍照pāizhàoto take photos
- 吗maquestion particle
When you use it
- You are about to raise your phone in a temple, museum or border area where photography rules are stricter than they look.
- Asking also works in your favour at markets and with street performers — many will pose happily or wave you closer once you have been polite.
Use 这里可以拍照吗？ in travel situations. Airports, trains, directions and asking for help.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
可以拍照吗？
Kěyǐ pāizhào ma?
Is it OK to take photos?
这里不让拍照吧？
Zhèlǐ bù ràng pāizhào ba?
No photos allowed here, right?
我能跟你合影吗？
Wǒ néng gēn nǐ héyǐng ma?
Can I take a photo with you?
What usually trips people up
- Mixing this up with the fitting-room sentence 我可以试试吗 — that one is for trying on clothes, and swapping them gets a puzzled laugh.
- Shooting first at performances: the polite move is to ask, and to put the phone down immediately if someone waves you off.
- Assuming one no covers the whole building — many places allow photos outside but never inside the main hall, so ask again at each threshold.
What you might hear back
- 可以拍。Kěyǐ pāiYes, you can take photos.
- 里面不让拍。Lǐmiàn bù ràng pāiNo photos inside.
- 别用闪光灯。Bié yòng shǎnguāngdēngNo flash, please.
Common questions
- How do you say "Can I take photos here?" in Chinese?
- "Can I take photos here?" in Chinese is 这里可以拍照吗？ — written in pinyin as Zhèlǐ kěyǐ pāizhào ma?. It is a travel phrase you would use in China.
- What does 这里可以拍照吗？ mean in Chinese?
- 这里可以拍照吗？ (Zhèlǐ kěyǐ pāizhào ma?) means "Can I take photos here?". Broken down word by word: 这里 (zhèlǐ) means "here"; 可以 (kěyǐ) means "may / can"; 拍照 (pāizhào) means "to take photos"; 吗 (ma) means "question particle".
- When would you use "Can I take photos here?" in Chinese?
- You are about to raise your phone in a temple, museum or border area where photography rules are stricter than they look. Asking also works in your favour at markets and with street performers — many will pose happily or wave you closer once you have been polite.
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