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ても良いです (temo ii desu) Meaning Japanese Grammar - You Can

Author GokuGoku for article 'ても良いです (temo ii desu) Meaning Japanese Grammar - You Can'

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The structure ても()いです (temo ii desu) uses the て form of the verb joined to も()いです and refers to the possibility of doing something (given the circumstances it is possible to perform a certain action).

The same expression is used for asking permission to perform an action. ても()いですか (temo ii desu ka). It is the expression you use for asking permission to do something: May I?

Verb[て]+も良い+です
Adjective[い]++も良い+です
Adjective[な]++も良い+です
Noun++も良い+です
(はい)です。
はいる, て form ⇨ はいって

You can enter.

(はい)っても()いですか。

Can I come in?

The verb 入る (to enter) becomes 入って in the て form.

Let us try to break down the expression and connect the parts:

  • 入って enter, come in (form in て)
  • 良いです(か) all right (is it all right?)

Literally translated: I come in and... is it fine?

日本(にほん)では煙草(たばこ)()っても()いのは20(さい)からです。

In Japan, smoking cigarettes is allowed from the age of 20.

(だれ)いませんから、ここにです。
すわる, て form ⇨ すわって

No one else is here, so you can sit here.

ても()いですか and affirmative answer

The answer we can get from the permission request can be affirmative:

はい、どうぞ。

Yes please.

ええ、どうぞ。

Yes please.

はい、いいです。

Yes, please.

ても()いですか and negative answer

Or it can be negative and we are thus not allowed to perform the action:

いいえ、(はい)ってはいけません。

No, you cannot enter.

いいえ、(はい)らないで下さい。

No, please don't come in.

あの、ちょっと。。。

Mhm, sorry, not possible.

Confidential form

Among friends and family, with people one is familiar with, we can omit the particle も, the verb です and the interrogative particle か.

(でん)()使(つか)って()い?

Can I use the phone?

ても良いです with adjectives and nouns

ても良いです is commonly used with both the adjectives in い, いい, な and the nouns.

Even in these cases it is asked permission or consent to do or not do something.

Let's imagine a situation where a friend asks us for a favour to buy something to drink. Here our question could be:

(みず)でも()いですか。

Are you OK with water too?

(むずか)しくても()いですか。

Are you OK with this even if it's difficult?

なくても良いです: don't need to do

We can use the same structure with the negative て form: なくて or ないで and in this case we refer to something that is not necessary or obligatory to do.

You do not have to take off your shoes.
くつをぬぐ: take off your shoes
くつをです。
Verb ぬぐ, negative base ⇨ ぬが + なくてもいい

You don't have to take off your shoes.

くつをぬがなくてもいいです。

You don't have to take off your shoes.

As we see in the picture, since it is an American house, it is not necessary to take off your shoes, as is customary to do before entering a Japanese house. なくても()い can be replaced by 〜する(ひつ)(よう)がない: no need to do.

明日(あした)(やす)みだから、(かい)(しゃ)()かなくてもいい。

Tomorrow is my day off, so I don't have to go to work.

Examples of ても()いです

()(した)(ほん)(かえ)せないなら、(らい)(しゅう)でも()いです。

If you can't return the book tomorrow, you can return it next week.

アパートは、()(ちん)(やす)ければ、(せま)くても()いです。

For the flat, if the rent is low, even small is fine.

()(だん)(たか)くても()いですか。

Is it OK with you even if a bit expensive?

I'm asked to buy an item and I check if the person is OK with any price, if I can buy the item even if it's not cheap.

The adjective in な and the noun add which is the て form of the copula だ.

ても良いです esempio
Famous 1980s song by Tanimura Shinji; 忘れていいの: You can forget about me

The の at the end of the sentence replaces です in this case.