ใใฆใใใใงใใ
...te mo ii desu ka
May I...? / You may...
๐ธ Asking and Giving Permission ๐ธ
๐ฌ Dialogue
Sumimasen, koko ni haitte mo ii desu ka.
Excuse me, may I come in here?
Hai, ii desu yo. Douzo.
Yes, you may. Please come in.
Kono pen o tsukatte mo ii desu ka.
May I use this pen?
Ee, tsukatte mo ii desu yo.
Yes, you may use it.
Koko de shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.
May I take a photo here?
Sumimasen, shashin wa totte wa ikemasen.
I'm sorry, you must not take photos.
๐ Vocabulary
5 wordsโญ Key Sentence
V-te mo ii desu ka
May I [verb]?
- Pattern: ใใฆใใใใงใใ
- Meaning: Asking for permission.
Koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka.
May I sit here?
Kono hon o yonde mo ii desu yo.
You may read this book.
๐ Explanation
To ask for permission in Japanese, use the Te-form of a verb followed by ใใใใงใใ.
To grant permission, simply say ใใฆใใใใงใ. Adding the particle ใ (yo) at the end makes the permission sound more friendly and encouraging.
This pattern is very common in daily life, from asking to borrow a pen to asking if you can enter a room.
Mado o akete mo ii desu ka?
= 'May I open the window?'
Tabete mo ii desu yo.
= 'You may eat (it).'
๐ Quiz
How do you ask 'May I use this?' using the verb 'tsukau' (to use)?