> in e.g. Russian there are no separate words for "can" and "may" I disagree. For "can", in Russian you would use the verb мочь (in the case of your example: я

> in e.g. Russian there are no separate words for "can" and "may" I disagree. For "can", in Russian you would use the verb мочь (in the case of your example: я могу сходить в туалет?, lit. "I can / am able to go to the bathroom?"); for "may", you would use the predicative можно (in the case of your example: можно сходить в туалет?, lit. "is one allowed / is it possible to go to the bathroom?").