How to Say “It’s Okay to Do” in Japanese | Using te-form + mo ii desu

level1 (N5)
2025.04.02

Introduction

Want to ask “May I go to the bathroom?” or say “You can eat here”?

In Japanese, the expression V-て＋もいいです is used to give permission or to say something is okay to do. It’s also commonly used to ask for permission — polite, useful, and essential!

In this article, we’ll explore:

✔ How to form this expression using the te-form
✔ How to use it to give or ask for permission
✔ Real-life examples and common situations
✔ Practice and FAQs

Let’s learn how to say “It’s okay to do 〜” in natural Japanese!

1. What Is V-て＋もいいです?

This expression means:

  • It’s okay to do 〜
  • You may do 〜
  • May I do 〜? (when used as a question)

It uses the て-form of a verb plus もいいです.

Examples:

JapaneseEnglish
電話（でんわ）してもいいです。You may make a phone call.
公園（こうえん）で遊（あそ）んでもいいですよ。You may play in the park.
A: トイレに行ってもいいですか。
B: いいですよ。		A: May I go to the bathroom?
B: Go ahead.
A: ここで写真（しゃしん）を撮（と）ってもいいですか。
B: はい、いいですよ。		A: May I take a picture here?
B: You may.

Note: “いいですよ“
The final よ is a sentence-ending particle that adds emphasis and can make a statement more confident. It is very often used with てもいいです!

2. How to Form V-て＋もいいです

Step 1: Make the て-form of the verb

Use the standard て-form rules.

Step 2: Add もいいです

Verbて-formFinal FormMeaning
食（た）べる食べて食べてもいいですYou may eat
飲（の）む飲んで飲んでもいいですYou may drink
話（はな）す話して話してもいいですYou may talk
行（い）く行って行ってもいいですYou may go
するしてしてもいいですYou may do
来（く）るきてきてもいいですYou may come

3. Asking for Permission with 〜てもいいですか

To turn the sentence into a question, simply add か at the end:

JapaneseEnglish
写真（しゃしん）を撮（と）ってもいいですか。May I take a picture?
テレビを見（み）てもいいですか。May I watch TV?
英語（えいご）を話（はな）してもいいですか。May I speak in English?
カフェで電話（でんわ）してもいいですか。May I make a phone call in the café?

Typical responses:

  • はい、いいですよ。→ Yes, that’s fine.
  • どうぞ。→ Go ahead.
  • いいえ、だめです。→ No, you can’t. / No, that’s not allowed. (Very direct refusal)
  • すみません、ご遠慮（えんりょ）ください。→Excuse me, but please refrain [from doing that]. (Polite)

4. Real-Life Usage Examples

SituationJapaneseEnglish
At a restaurantここで食（た）べてもいいですか？May I eat here?
Asking a teacherトイレに行（い）ってもいいですか？May I go to the restroom?
Giving permission公園（こうえん）で遊（あそ）んでもいいですよ。You may play in the park.
Asking a friend (casual)テレビを見（み）てもいい？Can I watch TV?

5. Practice: Turn These into 〜てもいいですか Sentences

  1. Sleep on the sofa
    　→ ソファで寝（ね）てもいいですか。
  2. Talk in the library
    　→ 図書館（としょかん）で話（はな）してもいいですか。
  3. Ride a bicycle
    　→ 自転車（じてんしゃ）に乗（の）ってもいいですか。
  4. Drink tea
    　→ お茶（ちゃ）を飲（の）んでもいいですか。
  5. Enter the house
    　→ 家（いえ）に入（はい）ってもいいですか。

6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
What’s the difference between “〜てもいいです” and “〜てください”？
A

“〜てもいいです” gives permission: “It’s okay to do 〜” or “You may.”
“〜てください” is a request: “Please do 〜.”

Q
Can I use this in casual speech?
A

Yes! Just drop the “です” part:
A: 家（いえ）に行（い）ってもいい？
B: いいよ。

Q
What’s the opposite of 〜てもいいです？
A

It’s 〜てはいけません, which means “You must not do 〜.”
Example: 写真を撮ってはいけません。(You must not take photos.)

Q
What are some common ways to say “yes” and grant permission?
A

Here are several common phrases to give permission:

  • もちろんです: Of course. / Certainly.
  • ええ、いいですよ: Yes, that’s fine. (Uses a slightly softer “yes” than はい)
  • どうぞ: Please. / Go ahead. / Be my guest. (Very common and useful)
  • かまいません: I don’t mind. / It’s not a problem. (Polite way to indicate no objection)
Q
How can I say “no” or deny permission politely?
A

Denying permission directly can sometimes sound blunt. Indirect refusals are very common and often preferred.

  • すみません、ちょっと…: “I’m sorry, but…”
    This is a very common, polite, and indirect way to refuse. The word 「ちょっと」 implies difficulty or inconvenience, and trailing off signals refusal without explicitly saying “no”.
  • ごめんなさい、それはできません: I’m sorry, that’s not possible / you can’t do that. (A polite but clearer way to refuse.)
  • 申し訳（もうしわけ）ございませんが、ご遠慮（えんりょ）ください: I am very sorry, but please refrain [from doing that]. (A polite refusal often heard in public spaces or service contexts.)

Conclusion

Now you can confidently:

✅ Ask for permission using 〜てもいいですか
✅ Give permission using 〜てもいいですよ
✅ Use the て-form of verbs naturally in conversation
✅ Understand the difference between polite requests and permissions

🎯 Try writing a few questions and answers using this pattern with a friend or teacher!

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