"Чем я могу вам помочь?"

Translation: How can I help you?

[hoverin]

Would "what can I help you with?" be valid?

[Tyler739056]

That was my answer as well, reported it.

[aJYiBvDw]

Three years later and it's still not fixed??? :O
"чем" is the instrumental case of "что", so yeah, it should be accepted.

[trajan2trajan2]

unfortunately it is still neither accepted nor confirmed to be wrong.

[fFZYhF]

Also my answer..

[deactivated user]

Why "Чем"? Would "Kak" be equally appropriate in this case?

[Liliya35332]

I don't think that they are equal as Чем in this case actually mean 'With what' (can I help you). While Как would mean 'How' (can I help you).

[daadaadaaren]

i would also like to know why this is чем over как

[Ig0l0chka]

Как is actually more apropriate

[ryandward]

Is чем functioning as instrumental что here? Does помочь usually take instrumental? Just asking because it seems strange without "с" as in "с чем."

[keinemeinung]

С чем = you're doing something alongside something else. Я ем суп с ложкой = I am eating soup and my spoon is chillin' alongside me (or it's a ... spoon soup, doesn't sound too tasty). By itself without a preposition it means you are using that thing as your tool/instrument.

[Lynrae]

Why not "How may i help you"? In English that is a set expression,

[chsemyonova]

I am wondering the same. It is actually more polite to use "may" instead of "can".
Is there some other way to say this in Russian, or is this just a variation that DL hasn't added for this translation yet?

[Adam82-]

Why the use of чем?

[Liliya35332]

Чем in the case is With What
Как is How

[Guenter212784]

Exactly like German "womit kann ich Ihnen helfen?"

[Rob538518]

"What can I do to help you" should be accepted.

[deepfriedmcrib]

Would using как instead of чем make the question about how somebody would have the faculties to help?

[Vlad32vlad]

Wherewith can I help you?

[daughterofAlbion]

That would mean "what [tool] can I use to help you?" I don't think the Russian means that.

[kk1lb0rn]

What's wrong with "Can I help you with something ? "

[BenCostell3]

That would require чем-то

[emmanuelanajao]

Agent: Thank you for calling AT&T, this is John, how can I help you?
Customer: I WANNA SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR! NOW!

[Paul440929]

Does this specifically mean "Using what means [instr. case] can I help you?" Or can it also mean "What problem can I help you with?" If it can only mean the former, how would you say the latter?