〜てもいい (Permission)
Ask for and give permission.
Asking for Permission
In daily life, you often need to ask if you are allowed to do something, such as using a computer, sitting in an empty chair, or taking a photo. In Japanese, you can easily express this by using the 'te-form' of a verb followed by a specific ending.
How to form 〜てもいい
To ask for or give permission, take the te-form of a verb and add 'もいい' (mo ii).
Watch out
Examples in Action
Here are common ways to use this structure.
写真を撮ってもいいですか。
May I take a photo?
ここに座ってもいいです。
You may sit here.
帰って【も】いいですか。
Hint: The particle that means 'even'.
May I go home?
Nuance and Register
Understanding when to use this phrase is key to sounding natural.
Permission Levels
〜てもいいですか
Standard permission (friends/peers)
入ってもいいですか
〜てもよろしいですか
Very polite/formal (business/customers)
入ってもよろしいですか
You are talking to your boss. Which is safer to use?
- 帰ってもいいですか
- ✓ 帰ってもよろしいですか
よろしい is the formal version of いい and is appropriate for superiors.
Deep Dive: Negative Permission
Sometimes you want to say something is NOT allowed.
Expressing Prohibition
Lesson Summary
You have learned how to ask for and grant permission using the te-form + もいい. Remember to use it with friends and peers, and consider more formal alternatives in professional settings.