How To Ask “May I Use The Toilet” In Different Languages

Blog
21 August 2023
By Sarah Angela Almaden
Japanese House
Unsplash: the blowup

We tend to forget that we are all the same. And that we all use the restroom or the toilet. We use it to chitchat. We use it to hide. We use it to do whatever toilet business or non-toilet business we have to do. Some even say that the toilet is some sort of a sanctuary of peace and quiet. So they use it to escape. It sounds silly. But it’s true. And it’s probably because once that toilet door is closed, that room turns into a special room for no one else but you.

Do you know how and where to find this loo or toilet or restroom or wc (short for water closet) or dunny? Well, you could simply ask someone where it is or you can look at the sign that is posted on the door or you could look at the sign that is posted at the side of the door. After all, toilets are everywhere, so these signs must be everywhere too. And anyone can use this restroom. It’s just that sometimes you do have to ask for permission, for many good reasons, of course. How do you ask permission to use the restroom? Scroll on and find out!

  • American English: May I use the restroom? (may i yoos the bathroom)
  • British English: May I use the loo? (may i yoos the loo)
  • French: Puis-je aller aux toilettes? (pwee jah-leh oh twa-let)
  • Dutch: Mag ik naar het toilet? (mak ik nar het twa-let)
  • Japanese: トイレにいってもいいですか?(toire ni it-te mo īdesu ka)
  • Korean: 화장실에 가도 될까요? (hwajangsil-e gado doelkkayo)
  • Polish: Czy mogę skorzystać z toalety? (cheh moh-geh skor-jeh-statch zeh to-wah-leh-teh)
  • German: Kann ich auf die Toilette gehen? (kan ik awf dee to-ah-leh-teh gehn)
  • Spanish: ¿Puedo ir al baño? (pweh-doh eer al ban-yo)
  • Italian: Posso andare in bagno? (poh-so an-da-reh in ban-yoh)
  • Indonesian: Boleh saya ke kamar kecil? (boh-leh sa-ya keh ka-mar ke-chil)
  • Swedish: Får jag gå på toaletten? (foar yag goah poah toh-ah-let-ten)
  • Norwegian: Kan jeg få gå på toalettet? (kan yeg foh goh poh toh-ah-let-tet)
  • European Portuguese: Posso ir à casa de banho? (poh-so eer a kaza de ban-yo)
  • Brazilian Portuguese: Posso usar o banheiro? (poh-so oosar o ban-yero)
  • Turkish: Tuvalete gidebilir miyim? (too-vah-leh-teh geedebeeleer meeyeem)
  • Finnish: Voinko käydä vessassa? (vo-een-ko kahydah veh-sa-sa)
  • Tagalog: Pwede po ba akong gumamit ng CR? (pweh-deh poh bah ah-kong goo-mamit nang see-ar)
  • Russian: Можно я зайду в туалет? (mozhno ya zaydu v tualet)