Asking and Giving Permission in Japanese

In Japanese, if you want to ask “May I…?” or “Is it okay if I…?”, the most common and natural way is to use:

〜てもいいですか？

This structure is polite and used for asking permission.

How to Make It

Use the て-form of a verb + もいいですか？

Examples:

Verb	て-form	Full Phrase
食たべる (to eat)	食たべて	食たべてもいいですか？ (May I eat?)
見みる (to watch)	見みて	見みてもいいですか？ (Can I watch?)
行いく (to go)	行いって	行いってもいいですか？ (Is it okay if I go?)
座すわる (to sit)	座すわって	座すわってもいいですか？ (May I sit?)
借かりる (to borrow)	借かりて	借かりてもいいですか？ (Can I borrow?)

Example Sentences

このペン、使つかってもいいですか？
Is it okay if I use this pen?
トイレに行いってもいいですか？
Can I go to the bathroom?
ここに座すわってもいいですか？
May I sit here?
写真しゃしんを撮とってもいいですか？
Is it okay to take a photo?

Saying “Yes”

はい、いいですよ。 (Yes, it’s okay.)
どうぞ。 (Go ahead / Please do.)
もちろん。 (Of course.)

Saying “No”

すみません、ちょっと…。 (Sorry, it’s a bit…)
ごめんなさい、それはできません。 (I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.)

Practice Time

Translate these into Japanese using 〜てもいいですか？:

May I open the window?
Can I use your phone?
May I take a break?
Can I ask a question?
May I enter this room?

Tips

Use in polite settings: school, work, public places.
To make it casual: Drop the ですか and simply ask: 〜てもいい？

Example:
これ、食たべてもいい？ (Can I eat this?)

Use this phrase often and you’ll sound both natural and polite in Japanese!

If you want to learn Japanese, improve your skills, or connect with native speakers and other learners, we can help. We offer one-on-one lessons, a supportive community, and on demand courses.

Website: nihongonana.com
Email: support@nihongonana.com

✅Book 1-on-1 lessons: https://nihongonana.com/lessons/
✅Join our Speaking Club: https://nihongonana.com/community/
✅Join our Course Waitlist: https://nihongonana.com/courses/