разреши́ть vs мо́жно

razreshit vs mozhno — permit vs may/be allowed

What it really means

Разреши́ть is a verb meaning “to permit” or “to allow.” It has a person or authority as its subject and takes an infinitive or an object: учитель разреши́л нам войти means “the teacher allowed us to enter.” Its perfective aspect presents the granting of permission as a completed decision.

Мо́жно is a predicative adverb meaning “it is possible,” “one may,” or “it is allowed.” It does not identify the permission-giver and is often used impersonally: здесь мо́жно фотографировать. Use разреши́ть when someone grants permission; use мо́жно when describing what is permitted or possible in a situation.

Examples in natural speech

Мама разреши́ла мне взять её велосипед.
Mom allowed me to take her bicycle.
Врач разреши́л пациенту встать.
The doctor allowed the patient to stand up.
Здесь мо́жно оставить багаж.
You may leave your luggage here.
Мо́жно задать вопрос?
May I ask a question?
В библиотеке нельзя́ громко разговаривать.
You must not speak loudly in the library.

Common mistakes

Do not use мо́жно when you need to name the person granting permission: директор разреши́л это, not директор мо́жно это. Conversely, разреши́ть does not replace the impersonal rule мо́жно входи́ть. Remember that нельзя́ is the negative counterpart of мо́жно, while не разреши́ть means that someone did not permit something.

Memory tip

Разреши́ть is a person’s permission; мо́жно is permission or possibility built into the situation.

Frequently asked questions

Can мо́жно mean “possible” as well as “allowed”?

Yes: здесь мо́жно купить билет means “it is possible” or “one can buy a ticket,” while context supplies whether this is permission or practical possibility.

What is the imperfective partner of разреши́ть?

Разреша́ть means “to allow” as an ongoing, repeated, or habitual action; разреши́ть presents one completed permission.

How do I say that permission was refused?

Use не разреши́ли: Нам не разреши́ли войти means “They did not allow us to enter.”

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