In Japanese, you’ll generally use the phrases 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii or 〜なくてもいい transcribed -nakute mo ii to give permission or request permission.
In this post, we’ll discuss how and when to use each of these phrases in Japanese. We’ll also introduce you to a few related expressions and talk about the differences between them. Ready to have a look? Let’s get started!
How to use 〜てもいい [-te mo ii]?
The ending 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii is used to mark some action or state as acceptable or permitted. You can use it in cases where you might use “it’s alright to…” or “may…” in English, but its literal meaning is something more like “it’s okay if…”
Here are some examples!
| Word Type | Basic Form | Permission / Acceptance |
|---|---|---|
verb | 食べる Transcription: taberu Translation: to eat | 食べてもいい Transcription: tabete mo ii Translation: may eat |
i-adjective | 古い Transcription: furui Translation: (to be) old | 古くてもいい Transcription: furukute mo ii Translation: it’s alright if (it’s) old |
na-adjective | 簡単だ Transcription: kantan da Translation: to be simple | 簡単でもいい Transcription: kantan de mo ii Translation: it’s alright if (it’s) simple |
noun | 学生だ Transcription: gakusei da Translation: to be a student | 学生でもいい Transcription: gakusei de mo ii Translation: it’s alright if (it’s) a student |
Did you notice that the ending is sometimes 〜でもいい transcribed -de mo ii instead of 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii? This is because technically you’re attaching もいい transcribed mo ii to the -te form of the action or state that is “permitted,” according to the formula below:
-te form
what’s accepted
Though the -te form most often ends in 〜て transcribed -te, there are cases where it ends in 〜で transcribed -de as well. Check out our post on the -te form in Japanese to learn the full details.
When to use 〜てもいい [-te mo ii]?
The ending 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii is most classically used to give permission or to ask for permission. However, it has some other uses as well. Let’s start by looking at this main use first, then we’ll get into some of the other cases where you can use this ending.
To give permission
The ending 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii is the most common way to give someone permission to do something or to be a certain way.
If you’re directly responding to someone who has asked for permission, the exact way you tell them “yes, you may” can depend on exactly how they asked and what kind of permission they’re seeking. We’ll talk about the best ways to do this below.
To request permission
You can also use 〜てもいい to ask for permission.
The end of this question can change, depending on how polite you want to be. Note that よろし transcribed yoroshii is a more formal version of いい transcribed ii.
| Politeness | Ending |
|---|---|
Basic | 〜てもいいですか transcribed -te mo ii desu ka |
Polite | 〜てもよろしいですか transcribed -te mo yoroshii desu ka |
Deferent | 〜てもよろしいでしょうか transcribed -te mo yoroshii deshō ka |
For example, if you were asking permission from someone you want to be very polite to, you might ask:
To communicate general permission
You can use 〜てもいい to tell someone that something is generally allowed or accepted. Some English equivalents might be “anyone can…” or “it’s alright to…”
To ask about the rules
You can also ask about general rules using 〜てもいい, but when you do this you’ll generally use the explanation mode, meaning it is followed by のだ transcribed no da or its casual version んだ transcribed nda. If someone uses the explanation mode in the question, you’ll usually see it in the answer too.
To express willingness
You can also use 〜てもいい to express that you’re willing to do something. Some English equivalents might be “I don’t mind…” or “...would be fine!”
Please note, though, that 〜てもいい in this meaning could sound somewhat patronizing depending on situations. Make sure you do not use it this way toward a superior!
To express acceptance of a situation
You can also use 〜てもいい to express that a situation is acceptable to you, even it’s not ideal. Some English equivalents might be “it’s okay if…” or “I can accept it if…”.
What are some variations on 〜てもいい?
There are a couple of other words and phrases that can replace the いい transcribed ii part of 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii. The word or phrase you choose can very slightly change the meaning. Let’s have a look!
〜てもかまわない [-te mo kamawanai]
You can use 〜てもかまわない transcribed -te mo kamawanai in most of the same places where you might use 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii. However, 〜てもかまわない sounds more formal and polite. Some English equivalents might be “It’s alright to…” or “I don’t mind if…”.
明日は休んでもかまいませんよ。Transcription: Ashita wa yasunde mo kamaimasen yo.Translation: I don’t mind if you take a day off tomorrow.〜てもだいじょうぶだ [-te mo daijōbu da]
You can also use 〜てもだいじょうぶだ transcribed -te mo daijōbu da in most of the same places where you might use 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii. However, 〜てもだいじょうぶだ has a more reassuring tone. You’ll use it more like you might use “even if… it’ll (still) be fine.”
明日は休んでもだいじょうぶですよ。Transcription: Ashita wa yasunde mo daijōbu desu yo.Translation: It’s alright to take a day off tomorrow.
How to use 〜なくてもいい [-nakute mo ii]?
The ending 〜なくてもいい transcribed -nakute mo ii is used to express that’s it’s okay if you don’t do something or it’s okay if something isn’t some way — in other words, it marks something as unnecessary. Some English equivalents might be “you don’t have to” or “it is alright if you don’t.”
This phrase has the same structure as 〜てもいい, except that it uses the negative -te form
negative -te form
what’s unnecessary
Here are some examples:
| Word Type | Basic Form | “Not have to” form |
|---|---|---|
verb | 来る Transcription: kuru Translation: to come | 来なくてもいい Transcription: konakute mo ii Translation: not have to come |
i-adjective | 新しい Transcription: atarashii Translation: (to be) new | 新しくなくてもいい Transcription: atarashiku nakute mo ii Translation: not have to be new |
na-adjective | 有名だ Transcription: yūmei da Translation: to be famous | 有名でなくてもいい Transcription: yūmei de nakutemo ii Translation: not have to be famous |
noun | 会員だ Transcription: kai’in da Translation: to be a member | 会員でなくてもいい Transcription: kai’in de nakutemo ii Translation: not have to be a member |
When to use 〜なくてもいい [-nakute mo ii]?
Most of the time, 〜なくてもいい transcribed -nakute mo ii is used to mark some action or state as unnecessary. However, you can also use it to ask whether some action is required or necessary and it can sometimes be used as a roundabout way to prohibit an action. Let’s look at its standard meaning first, then we can look at this alternative use.
To mark some action or state as unnecessary
You can use 〜なくてもいい to tell someone that they don’t have to do something or that something doesn’t have to be a particular way.
But you can also use it in general statements about what’s necessary and not.
To ask whether something is necessary or required
You can also use 〜なくてもいい to ask whether something is required or necessary. Remember that you’re literally asking whether something is unnecessary!
Because these questions contain negation, which means they can be a little tricky to answer!
To say, “you don’t have to”, you’ll answer using variations of the word “yes”, like はい transcribed hai, ええ transcribed ē, or うん transcribed un.
To say, “you actually do have to,” you’ll answer using variations of the word “no,” like いいえ transcribed iie, いえ transcribed ie, いや transcribed iya, or ううん transcribed u’un.
Check out our section on requests for permission below for some examples!
To prohibit an action, in a roundabout way
In some contexts 〜なくてもいい can be used to prohibit an action in a roundabout way. This is a non-literal use of this phrase. It’s like how, in English, you might tell someone to be quiet by saying, “You don’t have to be so loud all the time!”
For example, imagine you’ve hired a temporary worker who keeps making mistakes and never showing up. You might tell them:
Even though, literally, you’re releasing this person from an obligation, it’s clear from the context that you’re actually forbidding them from coming anymore.
What are some other ways to say 〜なくてもいい?
There are several expressions like 〜なくてもいい that you can to say that an action or situation is unnecessary. Let’s go through them!
〜なくていい [-nakute ii]
The ending 〜なくていい transcribed -nakute ii is just a shortened form of 〜なくてもいい. You can use this short form anywhere where you would use the longer form, but the short form sounds more direct and assertive.
〜なくてもかまわない [-nakute mo kamawanai]
Like the positive version of this ending, 〜てもかまわない transcribed -te mo kamawanai, the 〜なくてもかまわない transcribed -nakute mo kamawanai ending is a slightly more formal or polite way to state that something is unnecessary.
明日は日曜日だから、早く起きなくてもかまわない。Transcription: Ashita wa nichiyōbi da kara, hayaku okinakute mo kamawanai.Translation: Tomorrow is Sunday, so I don’t have to get up early.〜なくてもだいじょうぶ [-nakute mo daijōbu]
Like the positive version of this ending, 〜てもだいじょうぶ transcribed -te mo daijōbu, using the 〜なくてもだいじょうぶ transcribed -nakute mo daijōbu sounds a bit reassuring to the listener.
熱が下がったから、もう薬をのまなくてもだいじょうぶですよ。Transcription: Netsu ga sagatta kara, mō kusuri o nomanakute mo daijōbu desu yo.Translation: Your fever is gone, so it’s alright if you don’t take the medicine anymore.〜必要はない [-hitsuyō wa nai]
The expression 〜必要はない transcribed -hitsuyō wa nai is used like you might use “there is no need to” in English: to express that a certain action or a state is unnecessary, a little more formally and objectively.
This expression is attached either to the dictionary form, for verbs or i-adjectives, or the dictionary form + である transcribed dearu, for na-adjectives or nouns.
Verbs and i-adjectives:dictionary form全部食べる必要はありません。Transcription: Zenbu taberu hitsuyō wa arimasen.Translation: There is no need to eat them all.Nouns and na-adjectives:dictionary form + である会員である必要はありません。Transcription: Kai’in de aru hitsuyō wa arimasen.Translation: There is no need to be a member.〜ことはない [-koto wa nai]
We can also use 〜ことはない transcribed -koto wa nai falls somewhere between 〜なくてもいい and 〜必要がない. It’s more objective and formal than 〜なくてもいい, but more conversational than 〜必要がない. This expression is used after the dictionary form of verbs.
dictionary form (verb)教科書なら買うことはないよ。図書館で借りられるから。Transcription: Kyōkasho nara kau koto wa nai yo. Toshokan de karirareru kara.Translation: As for the textbook, there is no need to buy it. You can borrow it at the library.〜までもない [-made mo nai]
〜までもない transcribed -made mo nai carries an extra layer of meaning: it implies that the action is not necessary because there is an easier solution. It is also used after the dictionary form of a verb.
dictionary form (verb)軽い風邪だから、薬をのむまでもない。Transcription: Karui kaze daraka, kusuri o nomu made mo nai.Translation: There is no need to take medicine since it’s a light cold.The speaker implies that an easier option (e.g., going to bed early) is enough.
Asking and giving permission: Some examples
In Japanese, the way someone asks whether something is allowed will impact the way you should answer that they are or are not allowed to do something. Let’s look at some of the different situations.
Asking about a rule
When someone asks whether something is formally allowed, according to a rule, you’ll give permission using the standard 〜てもいい transcribed -te mo ii ending. If you’re responding quickly, you can just use the いい transcribed ii part. For example:
When the answer to the above question is negative, we can use either 〜てはいけません transcribed -te wa ikemasenmeaning you may not or 〜ないでください transcribed -nai de kudasaimeaning please do not.
You can read more about how to express prohibitions from our post on obligation and prohibition in Japanese.
Asking for approval or acceptance
When someone asks whether you, in particular, are okay with their plans, you can grant permission using the polite phrase ええ、どうぞ transcribed Ē, dōzo.
If your answer is negative, because you aren’t okay with the person’s plans, a straight “No” is not considered very polite. You’ll generally use a vague phrase instead, like あの、ちょっと・・・ transcribed Ano, chotto…, which literally means “Um, a little bit…”
However, if the person you’re refusing is a close friend or family member, you might give a more straightforward answer, like this:
Asking what is NOT allowed
One polite way to ask for permission, in Japanese, is to ask whether something is not allowed. Asking this way sounds a little less forward and more hesitant. To do this, replace いい transcribed ii with its negative form: 〜てはいけませんか transcribed -te wa ikemasen ka.
Be careful when answering a question like this! Since this is a negative question, to give permission, you’ll need to answer in the negative, with いいえ transcribed iiemeaning no or its shorter version いえ transcribed ie to give our consent, like this:
To give a negative answer, we can simply request not to do so:
Asking whether something is necessary or required
When someone asks whether something is necessary or required, they’ll generally end their question with 〜なくてもいいですか.
As we mentioned above, literally, this is a negative question which means that the answers can get confusing!
Say “yes” when someone is not required to do something:
Question:今日は残業しなくてもいいですか。Transcription: Kyō wa zangyō shinakute mo ii desu ka.Translation: Do I not have to work overtime today?Answer:ええ、今日は (残業) しなくてもいいですよ。Transcription: Ē, kyō wa (zangyō) shinakute mo ii desu yo.Translation: Yes, you do not have to (work overtime) today.Say “no” if someone is required to do something:
Question:ジョンさん、レポート、書かなくてもいいの？Transcription: Jon san, repōto kakanakute mo ii no?Translation: John, don’t you have to write that paper?Answer:いや、書かなきゃいけない。Transcription: Iya, kakanakya ikenai.Translation: No, I’ve got to write it.
To sum up
In this post, we covered how to give and request permission in Japanese, using a number of different phrases. Let’s review them in a quick table:
| Expression | Translations | Use to express… |
|---|---|---|
permission to do something | ||
〜てもいい Transcription: -te mo ii |
|
|
〜てもかまわない Transcription: -te mo kamawanai |
|
|
〜てもだいじょうぶだ Transcription: -te mo daijōbu da |
| Reassurance (personal; conversational) |
permission to not do something | ||
〜なくてもいい Transcription: -nakute mo ii | “Don’t do…” |
|
〜必要はない Transcription: -hitsuyō wa nai | “There is no need to…” | Not necessary (formal, objective) |
〜ことはない Transcription: -koto wa nai | “There is no need to…” | [verb] is not necessary (conversational) |
〜までもない Transcription: -made mo nai | “There is no need to…” | [verb] is not necessary (since there’s an easier option) |
Ready to practice? Check out our giving permission in Japanese exercises to test your skills! Happy learning!
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