modality N5 essential casualpolitewritten
〜なくてもいい — don't have to ~
〜なくてもいい ・ なくてもいい
Builds on ない形
Meaning
- don't have to ~ / it's okay not to ~ / need not ~ — the absence of obligation
Key sentence
明日は来なくてもいい。
You don't have to come tomorrow.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (ない-form, drop い) | V-なく + てもいい | 行く → 行かなくてもいい / 食べる → 食べなくてもいい |
| Noun / na-adjective | N/na-adj + でなくてもいい | 新品でなくてもいい |
Variants
なくてもかまわない — 'I don't mind if you don't ~' — a slightly more formal way to grant the same exemption. なくていい — the も drops in casual speech: 行かなくていい.
Examples
靴を脱がなくてもいいですよ。
You don't have to take your shoes off.
全部覚えなくてもいい。
You don't have to memorize all of it.
急がなくてもいいから、ゆっくりやって。
There's no need to rush, so take your time.
Easily confused with
See 〜なくてもいい in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜なくてもいい the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.