Japanese - Permission

Lesson 159 of 168

A traveler politely asking permission in Japanese at a café — lesson about permission phrases in Japanese.

Goal: Asking politely for permission in Japan

Free Japanese lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! In this short lesson you'll practice common polite ways to ask permission in Japanese. Have fun — these phrases are very useful when visiting Japan.

Level A1: This lesson focuses on polite, Japan-specific permission phrases you can use right away: asking to sit (座ってもいいですか。), to take a photo (写真を撮ってもいいですか。), to take a photo together (一緒に写真を撮ってもいいですか。), and to charge a device (充電してもいいですか。). CEFR-aligned and ready for real situations — quick, practical practice for polite interactions in Japan.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and say four polite permission phrases in Japanese (A1).
  • Use each phrase in simple, polite situations: sitting, photos, photo together, and charging.
  • Hear the phrases in a short dialogue and practice them out loud.
A friendly pair in a park: one asks to sit and to take a photo — the lesson covers asking permission in Japanese.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

座ってもいいですか。

Suwatte mo ii desu ka.

May I sit down?

Meaning: May I sit down?

When to use: Use when asking to sit in an available or shared space.

すみません、ここに座ってもいいですか。

Sumimasen, koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka.

Excuse me, may I sit here?
席が空いていますか。座ってもいいですか。

Seki ga aite imasu ka. Suwatte mo ii desu ka.

Is the seat free? May I sit down?

写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take a photo?

Meaning: May I take a photo?

When to use: Ask before photographing places, displays, or people.

Tip: Beginners sometimes drop も and say 撮っていいですか。This is understandable but 〜てもいいですか is the standard polite form.

このお寺で写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Kono otera de shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take photos at this temple?
展示品は写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Tenjihin wa shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

Is it okay to take pictures of the exhibit?

一緒に写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Issho ni shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take a photo together with you?

Meaning: May I take a photo together with you?

When to use: Use when asking a person to be in the photo with you.

すみません、一緒に写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Sumimasen, issho ni shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

Excuse me, may I take a photo together with you?
友達と一緒に写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Tomodachi to issho ni shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take a picture together with my friend?

充電してもいいですか。

Jūden shite mo ii desu ka.

May I charge my device?

Meaning: May I charge my device?

When to use: Use in cafés, airports, hotels, or someone’s home.

Tip: Some learners say 使ってもいいですか without mentioning 充電, which is okay, but saying 充電してもいいですか is clearer.

すみません、ここでスマホを充電してもいいですか。

Sumimasen, koko de sumaho o jūden shite mo ii desu ka.

Excuse me, may I charge my phone here?
コンセントを使って充電してもいいですか。

Konsento o tsukatte jūden shite mo ii desu ka.

May I use the outlet to charge?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

A park bench and a polite exchange

Two people smiling as one asks to charge their phone and to take a photo together — polite Japanese permission phrases.

What does Anna ask permission to do first?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

すみません、座ってもいいですか。

Sumimasen, suwatte mo ii desu ka.

Excuse me, may I sit down?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

はい、どうぞ

Hai, dōzo.

Yes, please.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

充電してもいいですか。

Jūden shite mo ii desu ka.

May I charge my device?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

ここで充電しても大丈夫です。

Koko de jūden shite mo daijōbu desu.

It's okay to charge here.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

一緒に写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Issho ni shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take a photo together with you?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

いいですよ。はい、笑ってください。

Ii desu yo. Hai, waratte kudasai.

Sure. Yes, please smile.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Japanese phrase means 'May I charge my device?'

You're in front of a museum exhibit and want to ask 'May I take a photo?' Which phrase is best?

You want someone to be in a picture with you. Which phrase asks that politely?

Which phrase should you use to politely ask 'May I sit down?'

The bus is crowded. Excuse me, may I sit in this seat?

バスが混んでいます。すみません、この席に ___。

That garden is beautiful. Excuse me, may I take a photo here?

あの庭園はきれいです。すみません、ここで ___？

In a café when your battery is low: Excuse me, may I charge here?

カフェでバッテリーが少ないとき：すみません、ここで ___。

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

座ってもいいですか。

Suwatte mo ii desu ka.

May I sit down?

Say this phrase out loud:

写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take a photo?

Say this phrase out loud:

一緒に写真を撮ってもいいですか。

Issho ni shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take a photo together with you?

Say this phrase out loud:

充電してもいいですか。

Jūden shite mo ii desu ka.

May I charge my device?