Minna no Nihongo 15 ① : Permissions And Prohibitions

こんにちは、みなさんおじゃちゃんです。

Today is “Minna no Nihongo lesson 15 ① : Asking for Permissions in Japanese”. Asking for permissions and expressing prohibitions differ from the situations or the people. You want to use them correctly because that would determine your impression, don’t you? Let’s learn these expressions together with te-form I taught in previous lessons together.

Let’s get started!

Minna No Nihongo: Beginner 1, 2nd Edition (Japanese)

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Publisher : 3A CORPORATION; 2nd Edition (March 16, 1998)

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CONTENTS

■ Asking for Permissions in Japanese

Let’s learn the expressions of asking for permissions.

Casual Expressions | Asking for Permissions

You can use these expressions below when you want to ask for permissions casually to your close people like your friends or family.

・te-form + もいい？ Can I ~?

これ　食べて　もいい？
kore tabete moii
Can I eat this?

・ta-form + らダメ？ I can’t ~?

これ　取った　らダメ？
kore tottara dame
*I can’t take this?

*I translate Japanese into English directly because I couldn’t find good English translations.

Suitable Casual Responses | Asking for Permissions

・Positive Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
もちろん。 mochiron	Of course.	when you permit willingly
うん、いいよ。 un iiyo	Yeah, sure.	when you accept to do something
オッケー。 okkei	Okay.	when you accept to do something casually

・Negative Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
いや、ごめん。 iya gomen	Sorry, no.	when you decline it casually
ちょっと困る。 chotto komaru	Ah I’m not happy about that.	when you want to say it’s uncomfortable for you
いや。 iya	No way.	when you don’t want to do something
ダメ。 dame	Not good.	when you oppose the offer

Polite Expressions | Asking for Permissions

You can use these expressions below when you want to ask for permissions politely to your co-workers or strangers etc.

⭐️’s expressions appear in Minna no Nihongo Lesson 15.

polite expressions asking for permissions

⭐️ te-form + もいいですか。May I ~ ?

お願いして　もいいですか。
onegaishite mo iidesuka
May I ask you a favor?

・te-form + もかまいませんか。Would you mind if ~?

この絵を　見て　もかまいませんか。
kono e wo mite mo kamaimasenka
Would you mind if I look at this picture?

Suitable Polite Responses | Asking for Permissions

・Positive Responses

Japanaese	English	Usages
どうぞ。 douzo	Go ahead.	when you permit it formally
いいですよ。 iidesuoyo	Sure.	when you permit it gently
はい、大丈夫です。 hai daijoubu desu	It’s ok.	when you allow to do something
かまいませんよ。 kamaimasen yo	No problem.	when you let the speaker to do something

・Negative Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
いや、すみません。 iya sumimsen	Ah, I’m sorry.	when you want to decline it formally
いや、ごめんなさい。 iya gomennasai	Ah, I’m sorry.	when you want to decline it gently
ちょっと困ります。 chotto komarimasu	This will be a problem.	when you make the speaker stop to do something
ダメです。 damedesu	No, it’s not okay.	when you banned to do something

Graceful Polite Phrases for Business | Asking for Permissions

You need to use these graceful polite expressions when you ask for permissions to superior people, elder people, or your clients etc.

・te-form + もよろしいでしょうか。Would it be possible to ~?

後日　お伺いして　もよろしいでしょうか。
gojitsu oukagaishite mo yoroshii deshouka
Would it be possible to come and visit you later?

Suitable Graceful Polite Responses for Business | Asking for Permissions

・Positive Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
遠慮せず、どうぞ。 enryosezu douzo	Don’t hesitate.	when you permit to do something willingly
いいですよ。 iidesuyo	Please do.	when you permit to do something gently
はい、大丈夫です。 hai daijoubu desu	Yes, you can.	when you allow to do something
はい、かまいません。 hai kamaimasen	Don’t worry about it.	when you let the speaker to do something

・Negative Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
すみませんが、難しい [厳しい] です。 sumimasen ga muzukashii [kibishii] desu	I’m sorry but…	when you want to decline in a roundabout
大変　申し訳ありませんが、～。 taihen moushiwakearimasen ga	I’m afraid that ~.	when you want to decline politely on business
あいにく、～できません。 ainiku ～ dekimasen	I regret to let you know that ~.	when you decline to do something gently to superior people
せっかくですが、お断り　申し上げます。 sekkaku desu ga okotowari moushiagemasu	Unfortunately, I can’t accept your offer.	when you decline to do something to superior people

■ Expressing Prohibitions in Japanese

You can use these sentences if you don’t want the the listener to do something. Let’s learn how to express prohibitions.

⭐️’s expressions appear in “Minna no Nihongo Lesson 15”.

Casual Expressions | Expressing Prohibitions

You can use these expressions below when you express prohibitions in Japanese casually to your close people like your friends or family.

casual exressions exressing prohibitions

・nai-form + ないで！ Don’t ~ !

私の　お菓子を　食べないで！
watashi no okashi wo tabenaide
Don’t eat my candy.

・nai-form + ないでね。Please don’t ~.

今度は　遅れないでね。
kondo wa okurenaide ne
Please don’t be late next time.

When you add “ね” at the end of the sentence, you can express something gently.

・ta-form + らダメ！Don’t ~ !

開けたら　ダメ！
aketara dame
Don’t open it!

・jisho-form + な！ Don’t ~ !

寝るな！
neruna
Don’t sleep!

Suitable Casual Responses | Expressing Prohibitions

・Positive Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
はい。 hai	Yes.	when you agree
分かった。 wakatta	I see.	when you accept casually

・Negative Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
いやだ。 iyada	No.	when you don’t want to do definitely
やだよ。 yadayo	No.	when you notice the listener not wanting to do
知るか。 shiruka	I don’t care.	when you want to ignore to do

Polite Expressions | Expressing Prohibitions

You can use these expressions below when you express prohibitions in Japanese politely to your co-workers or strangers etc.

⭐️ te-form + は　いけません。 You must not ~.

ここに　入っては　いけません。
koko ni haitte wa ikemasen
You must not enter here.

・jisho-form + のは　ダメです。You can’t ~.

これに　触るのは　ダメです。
kore ni sawaru nowa damedesu
You can’t touch this.

・nai-form + で　ください。 Please don’t ~.

ここに　座らないで　ください。
koko ni suwaranaide kudasai
Please don’t sit here.

・noun + をやめてください。 Please stop ~.

話を　やめてください。
hanashi wo yametekudasai
Please stop talking.

Suitable Polite Responses | Expressing Prohibitions

・Positive Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
分かりました。 wakarimashita	I understand.	when you agree it formally
すみません。 sumimasen	I’m sorry.	when you apologize for it

・Negative Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
どうしてですか。 doushite desuka	Why?	when you ask of it instead of denying
いやです。 iyadesu	No.	when you oppose to do something directly

Very Polite Phrases for Business | Expressing Prohibitions

You can use these expressions below when you express prohibitions in Japanese superior people, elder people, or your clients etc. That’s very difficult. You can use “Making requests” instead when you prohibit to do something to such people.

You can learn “Making Requests and Asking Suggestions” form HERE!

Minna no Nihongo 14 : Making Requests and Suggestions

・noun + は　お控えください。 I must ask you to refrain from ~.

こちらでの　飲食は　お控えください。
kochira deno inshoku wa ohikae kudasai
I must ask you to refrain from eating here.

・noun + は　ご遠慮ください。 You are requested to refrain from ~.

写真撮影は　ご遠慮ください。
shashin satsuei wa goenryo kudasai
You are requested to refrain from taking pictures.

・noun + は　ご遠慮いただけますか。 Could you please not do ~.

携帯電話の　利用は　ご遠慮いただけますか。
keitaidenwa no riyou wa goenryo itadakemasuka
Could you please not use your phone?

Suitable Very Polite Phrases Responses for Business | Expressing Prohibitions

・Positive Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
失礼致しました。 shitsurei itashimashita	I’m sorry for that.	when you apologize politely
承知致しました。 shouchi itashimasita	I understand.	when you use on business
かしこまりました。 kashikomarimashita	Certainly.	when you use it for superior people

・Negative Responses

Japanese	English	Usages
恐れながら、お断り申し上げます。 osorenagara okotowari moushiagemasu	I’m afraid that I will have to decline.	when you decline it politely and directly
恐れながら、理由を　聞かせて　いただけますか。 osorenagara riyuu wo kikasete itadake masuka	If you don’t mind I’d like to hear the reasons.	when you ask the reasons instead of declining gently