Japanese Verbs Fourteen

In this Japanese Verbs Fourteen, of our Learn Japanese series, we will learn how to ask and give permission for things, using the ...tte mo ii construction.

This can be translated as "if I were to … would it be OK?" Or "May I…?".

Or  "if you were to …, it would be OK." Or "You may …"

You can make it even more polite by using yoroshii instead of ii.


Again use the "...tte" form with this constrution.

For example, if you wanted to say, "May I use the phone?"

To use the phone = denwa o tsukau.

This becomes: denwa o tsukatte

Now add " mo ii" and the question marker, plus desu :

 denwa o tsukatte mo ii desu ka.


Plain Form    "te" form       +tte mo ii               Kanji/Kana

Kuru              kite           kite mo ii                  来てもいい

Suru             shite         shite mo ii                  してもいい

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru              mite          mite mo ii                 見てもいい

Taberu          tabete       tabete mo ii               食べてもいい

Verbs that end in "u:"

Matsu           matte        matte mo ii                待ってもいい

Yomu           yonde         yonde mo ii               読んでもいい

Modoru        modotte      modotte mo ii            戻ってもいい

After the word list are a few examples:

Newspaper = 新聞　= しんぶん　to sit = 座る　= すわる

May I read this newspaper?

   この新聞を読んでもいいですか。

You may read this newspaper.

   この新聞を読んでもいいです。

Is it OK if I sit here?

   ここで座ってもよろしいですか。


...tte mo ... means "even if..."


No matter = たとえ   snow  = 雪 =  ゆき   to fall = 降 = ふる 

to leave =  出かける = でかける

I will go even if it snows. 　

   たとえ雪が降っても出かける。

So this could be translated literally as: no matter, even if it snows, I will go.


Ikura...tte mo ... means "However much..."

How much/many =  いくら  to do = やる  to be able to win = 勝てる = かてる

How ever many times I try, I can't win.　

   いくらやっても勝てないです。

Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

To use the phone = 電話を使う　= でんわをつかう　to take a break = 休む　= やすむ　

a little = ちょっと　to speak = 話す　= はなす  pencil = 鉛筆　= えんぴつ　

to use = 使う　= つかう　dinner = ごはん　comic = 漫画　= まんが　

dictionary = 辞書　= じしょ　to borrow = 借りる　= かりる　

next week = 来週　=  らいしゅう　belonging to = の　tuesday火曜日　= かようび　

tomorrow = 明日　= あした　early = 早く   = はやく　to return = 帰る　= かえる　

that = その　movie = 映画　= えいが to introduce = 紹介する= しょうかいする

to be tired = 疲れる　= つかれる   to put on weight = 太る　= ふとる

Try to translate English to Japanese for the below sentences, using the above list of words.

1.  May I use the phone?　

2.  May I take a break?　

3.  May I say something? (I'd like to speak a little.)

4.  You can use my pencil.　

5.  You can read a comic after you have eaten your dinner.

6.  Can I borrow your dictionary?

7.  May I take next Tuesday off?　

8.  You may go home early tomorrow.　

9.  You can watch that movie.

10. Could you introduce us?

11. She doesn’t put on weight, no matter how much she eats.

12. Even if I am tired, I will go.


Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Verbs Fourteen is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

  1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 12 Japanese phrases.
  2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
  3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.

Back to the Japanese words page