How to Say ‘Is it okay? / May I?’ in Japanese
いいですか。
ii desu ka
[ee dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [いいですか] checks permission (“Is it okay if…?”). For something you’re about to do, it pairs well with a verb: [見てもいいですか] (“May I look?”).
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese often confirms before acting, especially in shared spaces—asking [いいですか] can feel more considerate than just doing it.
Phrase Breakdown
いい
ii
[ee]
okay / good
「いい」= good/okay. 許可・確認で「〜してもいいですか（May I…?）」や、単独で「いいですか（Is it okay?）」の形になります。
今、ここに座ってもいいですか。
Is it okay if I sit here now?
です
desu
[dess]
is/are (polite copula)
丁寧な断定「です」。文を丁寧にし、質問なら「ですか」。形容詞のあとに付いて丁寧さを足すこともあります（例：むずかしいです）。
これでいいです。
This is fine/okay.
か
ka
[kah]
question particle (?-marker)
文末の「か」は質問を作る助詞。丁寧な「です」と合わさって「ですか」＝“is it…?”になります。
もう一回いいですか。
Is it okay to do it one more time?
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