may
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 →
2) May means something is possible: it may rain. tree →
3) May is used for polite requests: may I come in? tree →
4) May is the fifth month of the year, with 31 days. tree →
5) May (or hawthorn) is a tree with white spring flowers. tree →
6) (formal) «May» is used for wishes: «May you have a long life.» tree →
7) (formal, exam, rules) «May» states what is permitted by a rule: «Candidates may use a calculator»; «may not» means it is forbidden. tree →
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 →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: It is the language of permission in the food laws. These verses tell what Israel is allowed to eat, usually clean animals. Interpretation: The rabbis counted the permitted and forbidden foods carefully. This shapes kosher law, where "may eat" points to the clean animals, birds and fish. In the primary 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
- Of all clean birds ye may eat. (Torah DEU.14.11, JPS 1917) tree →
- Of all clean winged things ye may eat. (Torah DEU.14.20, JPS 1917) tree →
- Every male among the priests may eat thereof; it is most holy. (Torah LEV.6.29, JPS 1917) tree →
- May his years be as many generations! (Writings PSA.61.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- If a man die, may he live again? (Writings JOB.14.14, JPS 1917) tree →
- May he be enthroned before God for ever! (Writings PSA.61.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- You may use a ruler. tree →
- She saved 1 dollar a day in May. tree →
- May has 31 days. tree →
- Each child may take 2 sweets. tree →
- May I go to the toilet, please? tree →
- It may snow tonight, so wear a hat. tree →
- Our school sports day is in May. tree →
- You may not run in the corridor. tree →
- The birds come back in May. tree →
- bus is late again, may as well walk (casual) tree →
- Can I go? — You may not, and don't ask again. (rough, strict) tree →
- Candidates may assume that each month of May comprises 31 days; compute the aggregate saving at one dollar per day. (formal exam) tree →
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
- And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat;
- And the woman said unto the serpent: 'Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
- Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.'
- Bring me venison, and make me savoury food, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.
- and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death.'
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «may» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.