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Phrase
| A phrase which expresses persmission or concession. | May; It is all right if |
| 【Antonym Expression: はいけない】 |
(ksa). A:ここで煙草を吸ってもいいですか。 B:はい、いいです。
A: May I smoke here? B: Yes, you may.
(ksb). 高くてもいい・いいです。
It is all right if it's expensive.
(ksc). 学生でもいい・いいです。
It is all right if you are a student.
| {V/Adjective(い/な)/Noun+copula} て | もいい | |
| 話してもいい | May talk; it is all right if someone talks | |
| 高くてもいい | It is all right if something is expensive | |
| 静かでもいい | It is all right if something is quiet | |
| 先生でもいい | It is all right is someone is a teacher |
(a). この椅子を使ってもいいですか。
May I used this chair?
(b). 今日の宿題は作文です。短くてもいいですが面白いのを書いて下さい。
Today's homework assignment is a composition. It is all right if it's short, but please write an interesting one.
(c). A:テニスをしませんか。 B:下手でもいいですか。
A: Wouldn't you like to play tennis? B: Is it alright if I'm poor at it?
(d). A:何か冷たいものを飲みたいんですが。 B:ビールでもいいですか。
A: I want to drink something cold. B: Will beer do?
1. When てもいい is preceded by a verb, it means permission.
2. なくてもいい, the negative て form with もいい, means 'It is all right is ~not ~' or 'do not have to do ~'. (Complementiser phrase: なければならない)
Examples:
3. Other expressions like よろしい(です), the polite form of いい 'good, all right', and 構いません 'don't mind' can be used in place of いい(です). The degrees of politeness in these expressions are as follows:
(4)| いい(です)→ | 構いません→ | よろしい(です) |
| ←less polite | more polite→ |
Examples:
Note that 構う 'mind' must be negated in this expression.
4. てもいい sometimes appears with interrogative words like 何 'what' and いくら 'how much'. In this case, the expression means 'It is all right no matter what/who/how much/etc. ~' or 'It doesn't matter what/who/how much ~.' (See ても, Note 3.) Examples: