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N5 · Lesson 15

Permission and prohibition

Ask for and give permission with 〜てもいいですか, forbid with 〜てはいけません, and describe states with 〜ています.

Grammar

V ても いいですか — asking permission

V ても いいですか

The て form + も いいです expresses permission: を っても いいですか (may I take photos?). You grant it with どうぞ or ええ、いいですよ.

Examples

  • May I smoke? …Yes, go ahead.

V ては いけません — prohibition

V ては いけません

〜ては いけません forbids: ここで んでは いけません (you mustn't play here). It is the negative answer to 〜てもいいですか.

Examples

  • You mustn't take photos here.

V て います — resulting states

V て います (state)

With certain verbs, 〜ています describes not an action in progress but the resulting state: しています (I'm married), っています (I know), んでいます (I live in…). The negative of っています is りません.

Examples

  • Mr. Miller lives in Osaka.

  • Do you know Mr. Tanaka's phone number? …No, I don't.

V て います — what someone does habitually

N は 〜を V て います

〜ています also describes someone's job or regular activity: IMCは ソフトを っています (IMC makes software), は で いています.

Examples

  • My older sister teaches English at a high school.

Vocabulary

WordReadingMeaning
to put, to place
to make, to produce
to sell
to find out, to learn
to live, to reside
to research
materials, data
catalogue
timetable
clothes
goods, products
software, program
electronic dictionary
economy
city hall
high school
dentist, dental clinic
single, unmarried
sorry, excuse me
ladies and gentlemen, everyone
to remember, to recall
to be (polite form of います)

See this lesson's vocabulary →

See also

Verbs

Every verb in the book with its ます, て, dictionary, ない and た forms, as in the Minna no Nihongo appendix.