Structure
Verb[なくて] + (も) + いい
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Standard
使用域
一般
About なくてもいい
なくてもいい is simply the opposite of てもいい, and highlights that it is 'ok even if (A) is not done'. This usually comes across as being quite polite, and sounds like 'don't worry about doing (A)' in English.
なくてもいい is a combination of the auxiliary verb ない in its conjunction form, with てもいい.
なくてもいい is a combination of the auxiliary verb ない in its conjunction form, with てもいい.
- ミカは悪くないから謝らなくてもいいよ。Mika, you are not in the wrong, so you don't have to apologize.
- その手紙はもう届けなくてもいい。It's okay if you don't deliver that letter anymore.
- 今日は会社に来なくていいよ。It is fine if you don't come to the office today.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Examples
忙しいなら、行かなくてもいいです。
If you are busy, you don't need to go.
掃除をしなくてもいいですか。
I don't have to clean?
その青いセーターを着なくてもいいですよ。
You don't have to wear that blue sweater.
そんなに怒らなくてもいい。
You don't have to be that angry.
これ以上飲まなくてもいい。
You don't have to drink more than this.
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Online
Differences between 「することはない」 and 「しなくてもいい」
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See examples with なくてもいい
MaggieSensei
Don't Have to ~(なくてもいい)
Japanese Ammo
Offline
Genki II 1st Edition
Page 99
みんなの日本語 I
Page 110 [CH 17]
Genki II 2nd Edition
Page 125
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なくてもいい – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (8 in total)
packie11
Question - why do we use verb+なくてもいい, and not verb+ないでもいい (like ないでください)? Is ないでもいい even correct grammar? Would it have a different meaning?
nekoyama
Just by convention, I think. ないでもいい has the same meaning and is correct enough to appear in some dictionaries* and in literature. But it’s rare enough that a native speaker might call it wrong. On the other hand, nobody would call なくてもいい wrong.
* E.g. the 日本語文型辞典 has an entry on ないでもよい
Fuga
Hey @packie11 !
Verb+なくてもいい is grammatically correct (Correct Japanese). Verb+ないでもいい is technically not correct, but it is commonly used in everyday conversations. Even though verb+ないでもいい is commonly used, because verb+なくてもいい is the one that is considered ‘correct’, it would be better to use verb+なくてもいい in writing and in conversations with people that are not your peers.
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