Penny,
Jim definitely hit it on the nose. To add to the pedantic fun - one might want to say Would instead of 'can'. Can had more of a sense of 'are you able to' rather than 'please comply'. However, in today's world the distinction is no longer a concern. Can, may, and would, are generally used as synonyms.
When I was young, which is getting to be longer and longer ago, asking "Can I have a cookie." would result in a query about one's physical health. The desired query was "May I have a cookie." which was the proper way to ask permission.
In English mysteries set in boarding schools, especially prior to WWI, the head master was commonly quoted at saying, "May I see you." This did not bode well for whoever was being invited. That's the closest example of a similar usage I can think of.
Does Hebrew distinguish between 'can' and 'may'?
Elena