Japanese Grammar Bank

HOW TO GIVE PERMISSION IN JAPANESE

In Japanese, expressing permission and prohibition is essential for navigating social norms and everyday situations.

This lesson covers the structures ～てもいい for giving or asking permission and ～てはいけない for indicating that something is not allowed.

PERMISSION IN JAPANESE

To express permission, you can use ~てもいい (temoī) which means “ you can” or “you may” in English.

This expression is a combination of te-form verb and もいい.

In conversation, it sounds more natural if you place particle よ at the end of sentence.

PATTERN

Verb (te-form) + もいいです / もいいですよ

今日は早く帰ってもいいですよ。Kyou wa hayaku kaettemo ii desuyo.You can go home early today.
ここでたばこを吸ってもいいです。Koko de tabako wo suttemo ii desu.You may smoke here.
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ここに車を停めてもいいですよ。Koko ni kuruma wo tometemo ii desuyo.You can park your car here.
この公園で野球をしてもいいです。Kono kouen de yakyuu wo shitemo ii desu.You can play baseball in this park.
仕事を何日か休んでもいいですよ。Shigoto wo nannichi ka yasundemo ii desuyo.You may take a break from work for a few days.
たくさん食べてもいいです。Takusan tabetemo ii desu.You are allowed to eat a lot.
余った料理を持って帰ってもいいですよ。Amatta ryouri wo motte kaettemo ii desuyo.You can bring back left-over food.
時間とお金がたくさんあるなら、長期の旅行に行ってもいいですよ。Jikan to okane ga takusan aru nara, chouki no ryokou ni ittemo ii desuyo.You can go for a long trip, if you have a lot of time and money.

Another expression for making permission is ~ても大丈夫 (te mo daijōbu)。

大丈夫 means “alright” or “no problem”.

This expression is also a combination of te-form verb and も大丈夫.

You can use this expression in a similar way.

PATTERN

Verb (te-form) + も大丈夫です / も大丈夫ですよ

ここでお酒を飲んでも大丈夫です。Kokode osake wo nondemo daijoubu desu.You can drink alcohol here.
学校を休んでも大丈夫です。Gakko wo yasundemo daijoubu desu.You can take a break from school.
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この部屋で携帯電話を使っても大丈夫です。Kono heya de keitai denwa wo tsukattemo daijoubu desu.You can use your mobile phone in this room.
明日行っても大丈夫です。Ashita ittemo daijoubu desu.You may go tomorrow.
ここでダンスの練習をしても大丈夫です。Koko de dance no renshuu wo shitemo daijoubu desu.You can practice your dance here.
このペンを使っても大丈夫です。Kono pen wo tsukattemo daijoubu desu.You can use this pen.

EXPRESSING PROHIBITION

To express prohibition you can use ~てはいけない (te hai kenai).

てはいけない is also formed by using te-form verb. It conveys the idea that something is not allowed and unacceptable.

It is similar to “must not” or “should not” in English. If you want to be more polite and formal, you should say ~てはいけません。

PATTERN

Verb (te-form) + はいけない / はいけません

宿題が終わるまでテレビを見てはいけません。Shukudai ga owaru made terebi wo mite wa ikemasen.You should not watch TV until you finish the homework.
建物の中では写真を撮ってはいけません。Tatemono no naka dewa Shashin wo totte wa ikemasen.You must not take a picture inside the building.
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公共の場所でお酒を飲んではいけません。Koukyou no basho de osake wo nonde wa ikemasen.You must not drink alcohol at public places.
教室では走ってはいけません。Kyoushitsu dewa hashitte wa ikemasen.You must not run inside the classroom.
お菓子を食べてはいけません。Okashi wo tabete wa ikemasen.You should not eat snacks.
危ない場所に行ってはいけません。Abunai basho ni itte wa ikemasen.You should not go to a dangerous place.
疲れたりストレスが溜まったりするので、働き過ぎてはいけません。Tsukaretari sutoresu ga tamattari suru node, hataraki sugite wa ikemasen.You should not work too much because it will make you tired and stressed.
この部屋に入ってはいけません。Kono heya ni haitte wa ikemasen.You must not enter this room.

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FAQs

How do I know when to use ～てもいい (permission) versus ～てはいけない (prohibition)?

～てもいい is used when you want to give or ask for permission, translating to “it’s okay to do” something. ～てはいけない, on the other hand, is used to prohibit an action, meaning “you must not do” something. Pay attention to the context to choose the correct form.

How do I express a stronger prohibition or say something is absolutely forbidden?

For stronger prohibitions, expressions like ～てはならない (te wa naranai) or ～てはいけないこと (te wa ikenai koto) can be used, especially in written or formal situations to emphasize that something is strictly not allowed.

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