In formal contexts, such as interviews, we commonly use these polite pre-questions before we ask the main question: May I ask you a question about your last job? Why did you leave it? We can add just and please to make them even more polite: Polite More polite Can I ask a question? Can I just ask a question, please? May I ask a question? May I just ask a question, please? Could I ask a question? Could I just ask a question, please? See also: Politeness

quite; to a slight degree: It's rather cold today, isn't it? That's rather a difficult book - here's an easier one for you. The train was rather too crowded for a comfortable journey. She answered the phone rather sleepily. I rather doubt I'll be able to come to your party. More examples It is a rather grey, colourless city, with few interesting sights or historical monuments. His books tend to be rather densely written. The company's prospects for the future are rather dim. She found the formality of the occasion rather daunting. To people who don't know him he probably appears (to be) rather unfriendly. Thesaurus: synonyms and related words Want to learn more? Improve your vocabulary with English Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge. Learn the words you need to communicate with confidence.