Learn Hardcore Farsi: لطفا میتوانید به من کمک کنید؟

It is generally polite and neutral-to-formal, because می‌توانید addresses you politely (using the plural form). It works well with strangers, service workers, or anyone you want to be respectful to.

Why does می‌توانید look like it’s plural you, when I’m speaking to one person?

Persian commonly uses the plural you as a polite singular. So می‌توانید literally matches you (plural) can, but functionally it often means could you (sir/ma’am) / can you (please) to one person.

What is the role of لطفا and where can it go in the sentence?

لطفا means please and adds politeness. It’s most commonly placed at the beginning, but it can also appear later for emphasis, for example:

می‌توانید لطفا به من کمک کنید؟
Both are natural; starting with لطفا is very common.

Why is به من used—does it literally mean to me?

Yes. With کمک کردن (to help), Persian often uses به + person (literally to), so به من کمک کنید is the standard way to say help me.

Can I shorten به من to something like me attached to the verb?

Yes, in colloquial Persian you can use an attached pronoun:

لطفا می‌تونید کمکم کنید؟ = Can you please help me?
Here کمکم = help + me (literally my help, idiomatically help me).

What grammar is کمک کنید? Is it an imperative?

It’s the verb کردن in the form کنید (polite you form). In requests, کنید functions like a polite command/request and is also used after modal-like phrases such as می‌توانید...؟
Structure: کمک (help) + کنید (do-you-polite) → help (do) = help.

Why is the verb at the end? Is that normal word order in Persian?

Yes. Persian is typically SOV (subject–object–verb), so it’s normal for the main verb to come at the end:

(you) can ... help do? → Can you ... help?

Is میتوانید the correct spelling, or should it be written differently?

Both are seen, but the more standard spacing/orthography is:

لطفاً می‌توانید به من کمک کنید؟
People often type:
لطفا میتوانید... (no diacritics, sometimes attached)
In careful writing, می‌ usually takes a half-space (zero-width non-joiner): می‌توانید, می‌کنید, etc.

What’s the difference between می‌توانید and میتونید / می‌تونید?

می‌توانید (mitavânid) is more formal/standard.
می‌تونید (mitunid) is colloquial and very common in speech.
Meaning is essentially the same; the choice is mostly about register.

Does this sentence mean Can you help me? or Could you help me?

It can cover both in practice. Persian often uses می‌توانید...؟ as a polite request, which can sound like English Could you... ? depending on tone and context. If you want to be extra polite, you can add more softeners (e.g., ممکنه...؟).

Are there other natural ways to ask the same thing?

Yes, common alternatives include:

ممکنه به من کمک کنید؟ (Very common, polite: Is it possible you help me?)
میشه به من کمک کنید؟ (Common spoken: Can you help me?)
میشه کمکم کنید؟ (Short, spoken: Can you help me?)