Asking for Permission: ใใฆใใใ
To ask 'May I...?' or 'Is it okay if I...?', Japanese uses the ~te mo ii form. It literally translates to 'Even if I do this, is it good?'
How to Ask and Give Permission
In English, we say 'May I open the window?' or 'You may sit here'. In Japanese, we attach 'mo ii' (also good) to the Te-form of the verb.
If you make it a question (ใใฆใใใใงใใ๏ผ), you are asking for permission.
If you state it as a fact (ใใฆใใใใงใ), you are giving permission to someone else.
You can also use this with the negative form (ใใชใใฆใใใ) to say 'You don't have to...'.
Conjugation Rules
Example Sentences
Teacher's Advice
If someone asks 'Tabete mo ii desu ka?' (May I eat?), how do you say no? Saying 'Iie, tabete mo ii ja arimasen' is WRONG! To deny permission, you must use the 'must not' grammar: '~te wa ikemasen'. So say: 'Iie, tabete wa ikemasen' (No, you must not eat).
JLPT Exam Patterns
- โขChoosing the correct response to a ~te mo ii question in listening sections (N5)
- โขThe opposite of ~te mo ii (You may) is ~te wa ikemasen (You must not) (N5)
- โขUnderstanding ~nakutemo ii (You don't have to) (N5)
Softening the Question
ๅ ฅใฃใฆใใใใงใใ is grammatically complete and perfectly polite, but native speakers often soften it further with ใใฉ or ใ before finishing the thought: ๅ ฅใฃใฆใใใใงใใใใใฉ... trails off rather than sounding demanding. In more casual settings among peers, ๅ ฅใฃใฆใใใ? (dropping ใงใใ entirely, with rising intonation) is far more common than the textbook full form.
Answering also has its own etiquette. A flat ใใใงใ can sound curt. Native speakers usually soften a 'yes' with ใฉใใ (please, go ahead) and soften a 'no' by avoiding a direct refusal altogether. ใกใใฃใจ... (a bit...) trailing off is a very common way to decline without saying ใ ใ or ใใใพใใ outright.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ใใฆใใใ mean?
ใใฆใใใ literally means "even if you do X, it is good", or in practice, "you may / it's okay to." As a question (ใใฆใใใใงใใ), it asks for permission: ๅ ฅใฃใฆใใใใงใใ ("May I come in?"). It attaches to the te-form of the verb.
How do you say something is NOT allowed in Japanese?
The negative answer to ใใฆใใใใงใใ is not ใใฆใใใใใใชใ. Use ใใฆใฏใใใพใใ ("you must not") or the softer ใใชใใงใใ ใใ ("please don't"). For example: ใใใงใฟใใณใๅธใฃใฆใฏใใใพใใ.
What is the difference between ใใฆใใใ and ใใชใใฆใใใ?
ใใฆใใใ gives permission to do something, while ใใชใใฆใใใ says something is not necessary: ่กใใชใใฆใใใ means "you don't have to go." The JLPT often tests this pair together, so learn them as a set.
Related Grammar
Master Permissions
Practice asking for and giving permission in various situations.