modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜てもかまわない — it's okay if ~
〜てもかまわない ・ てもかまわない
Builds on て形
Meaning
- it's fine if ~ / I don't mind ~ing / ~ is okay — grants permission or signals you have no objection
Key sentence
ここに座ってもかまいませんか。
Do you mind if I sit here?
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (て-form) / i-adj (くて) / Noun + でも | V-ても / A-くても / N でも + かまわない | 帰ってもかまわない / 高くてもかまわない |
Examples
写真は撮ってもかまいませんよ。
You're welcome to take photos.
少し遅れてもかまわないので、必ず来てください。
It's fine to be a little late, so please be sure to come.
Easily confused with
〜てもいい Both grant permission. てもいい is the everyday 'you may ~'; てもかまわない is slightly more detached — 'I don't mind / it's no problem either way,' a touch more formal and nonchalant. 〜ても始まらない Same ても base, opposite stance: てもかまわない accepts an action as fine, while ても始まらない rejects it as pointless ('there's no use ~ing').
See 〜てもかまわない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜てもかまわない 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.