How to Ask “May I?” in Japanese with ～てもいい

One of the most useful grammar patterns in any language is how to ask for permission. In Japanese, the phrase ～てもいい lets you do just that. It’s a polite and flexible way to ask, “Is it okay if I ___?” or to grant permission to someone else.

How to Use It

Use ～てもいい to ask or give permission. Attach it to the て-form of a verb. You can also use it to ask if it’s okay not to do something by turning a verb into its negative て-form (e.g., いかなくて). This phrase is common in everyday conversation and can be formal or casual depending on how it’s said.

- Add か at the end to ask a question: **～て**もいい**ですか。** - For negatives: [Negative verb in て-form] + も + いい（です）