How do I say "one" when asking for something?
dari Foreigner, 1 Juli 2014
Pesan: 4
Bahasa: English
Foreigner (Tunjukkan profil) 1 Juli 2014 20.16.40
Mustelvulpo (Tunjukkan profil) 1 Juli 2014 20.42.41
Foreigner:If I am asking someone for something, and I want to say "Can I have one," what word should I use for "one?" Should I say, "Cxu mi povas havi unu?""Unu" should be used for "one." I would say "Ĉu mi povas preni unu?" or "Ĉu vi donus unu al mi?" depending on the circumstance rather than using "havi" but your sentence is clear enough. But the way we use "one" in English doesn't always translate as "unu." For instance "I like that one" would translate as "Mi ŝatas tiun" or " Tiu plaĉas al mi."
nornen (Tunjukkan profil) 1 Juli 2014 20.43.10
sudanglo (Tunjukkan profil) 2 Juli 2014 11.11.01
However, whilst in English Can I have? sounds weird, or at least incomplete (something a foreigner might say), Ĉu mi povas havi/preni? would be acceptable in Esperanto, particularly if, in the circumstances, one would be the normal quantity.