Keyi yong shouji zhifu ma (可以用手机支付吗): Pay by phone?

可以用手机支付吗？

kěyǐ yòng shǒujī zhīfù ma?

Can I pay by phone?

Character breakdown

可

can, may

kě

以

to use, by means of

yǐ

用

to use

yòng

手

hand

shǒu

机

machine, device

jī

支

to pay (money)

zhī

付

to pay

fù

吗

question particle

Grammar and structure

This is a polite question formed with 可以 (kěyǐ, 'may/can'), the verb 用 (yòng, 'to use'), the noun 手机支付 (shǒujī zhīfù, 'mobile payment'), and the question particle 吗 (ma).

Variations and politeness

可以用手机付款吗？

kěyǐ yòng shǒujī fùkuǎn ma?

Can I pay by phone? — More colloquial; 付款 (fùkuǎn) is a common synonym for 支付 (zhīfù).

手机可以支付吗？

shǒujī kěyǐ zhīfù ma?

Can the phone pay? — More direct; puts 手机 (shǒujī) first as the topic.

Mini dialogue

请问，可以用手机支付吗？

qǐngwèn, kěyǐ yòng shǒujī zhīfù ma?

Excuse me, can I pay by phone?

可以的，您用什么支付软件？

kěyǐ de, nín yòng shénme zhīfù ruǎnjiàn?

Yes, you can. Which payment app do you use?

When to use it

Appropriate

When you are in a taxi, shop, or restaurant in China and want to pay with your phone.
When you have Alipay or WeChat Pay set up and want to confirm that mobile payment is accepted.
When you are unsure if the merchant accepts mobile payment and want to ask politely.

Avoid when

When you don't have a mobile payment app installed or set up; the phrase assumes you can pay by phone.
When you want to ask about other payment methods, such as cash or credit card; this phrase specifically asks about phone payment.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "Can I pay by phone?" in Chinese?

You say "可以用手机支付吗？" (kěyǐ yòng shǒujī zhīfù ma?).

How do you pronounce "可以用手机支付吗？"?

It is pronounced "kěyǐ yòng shǒujī zhīfù ma?" with the tones: kě (3rd), yǐ (3rd), yòng (4th), shǒu (3rd), jī (1st), zhī (1st), fù (4th), ma (neutral).