てもいいです
🃏 Flashcard
てもいいです
temo ii desu
Tap to reveal usage
is OK to..; is alright to..; may I..?
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
temo ii desu
Post ID
50671
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
is OK to..; is alright to..; may I..?
📖 How to use it
Says that an action is permitted or acceptable, or asks permission to do something.
Attaches to
Attach to the て-form of a verb (or で-form for な-verbs and nouns). Example: 食べる → 食べて + もいいです.
This pattern is used to give or ask permission. When you say テレビを見てもいいです, it means "It's OK to watch TV" or "You may watch TV." To ask permission, raise your intonation: テレビを見てもいいですか？ means "May I watch TV?" It's a very common, everyday expression, especially in polite conversation.
You can also use it to say something is acceptable in a situation. For example, ここに座ってもいいです means "It's alright to sit here." The pattern is made by taking the て-form of a verb and adding もいいです. For nouns and な-adjectives, use で instead of て: 学生でもいいです (It's OK to be a student), 元気でもいいです (It's fine if you're healthy).
トイレに行ってもいいですか。
Toire ni itte mo ii desu ka.
May I go to the bathroom?
ここで写真を撮ってもいいです。
Koko de shashin o totte mo ii desu.
It's OK to take photos here.
明日来なくてもいいですよ。
Ashita konakute mo ii desu yo.
You don't have to come tomorrow. (It's OK if you don't come.)
Not てもかまいません
てもかまいません is a more formal and polite version of てもいいです. Use てもいいです in everyday conversation, and てもかまいません in more formal situations like business or with superiors.
Register
Neutral polite; used in both speaking and writing, but common in everyday conversation.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
てもいいです
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat てもいいです three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using てもいいです. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern てもいいです mean?
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Is OK to..; is alright to..; may I..?
What JLPT level is てもいいです?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use てもいいです in a sentence?
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Attach てもいいです (temo ii desu) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is てもいいです formal or casual Japanese?
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てもいいです is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember てもいいです long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.