Sentence structure: Can I not try that?
Does the sentence "Can I not try that?" mean:
- I want to try that but I'm not allowed to
- I don't want to try that
"Can I try that?" would be a simple question. "Am I allowed to try to do something?" Modifying try with "not" implies a slight fear that permitting the action might violate a formal or informal rule, or that the requester might lack the ability to successfully perform the action.