GrammarJLPT N5
→ it's okay to～
It's okay to / May I
JLPT N5Fixed phraseNeutral
～てもいい is one of the most fundamental expressions for granting or asking permission in Japanese. It attaches to the て-form of a verb and literally means "even if one does ~, it is good," which naturally translates to "it's okay to ~" or "you may ~." When used in a question (～てもいいですか), it functions as a polite way to ask for permission, equivalent to "May I ~?" This expression is neutral in register and can be made more polite by using よろしい instead of いい, or made more casual by dropping です. It contrasts directly with ～てはいけない, which denies permission ("you must not"). Learners should also be aware of the near-synonym ～てもかまわない, which carries a nuance of "I don't mind if ~" and sounds slightly more formal or indifferent.
Functions
#1 Asking for permission
Structure
Verb (て-form) + もいいですか
ここに 座ってもいいですか。
In this example, ～てもいいですか is used to politely ask for permission to sit somewhere. The verb 座る is conjugated to its て-form 座って, and then もいいですか is added to form the question. This is the most common pattern learners will encounter in daily conversation, and adding です before か keeps it polite.May I sit here?
Structures
- Verb
- Verb (て-form) + もいい
- Polite question
- Verb (て-form) + もいいですか
Common mistakes
A common mistake is forgetting to conjugate the verb into the て-form and instead attaching もいい directly to the dictionary form (e.g., saying × 食べるもいい instead of ○ 食べてもいい). Another frequent error is confusing ～てもいい (permission) with ～てはいけない (prohibition); learners sometimes mix up the particles も and は in these expressions, which completely reverses the meaning. Some learners also omit です in formal situations, which can sound too casual, or they add です in very casual contexts where it sounds stiff. Finally, be careful not to use ～てもいい to give permission to a social superior, as it can sound presumptuous; in such cases, a different expression is more appropriate.
Related
～てはいけない～てもかまわない～てもよろしい～ないでください～てもだいじょうぶ