Permission and Obligation

🎭 Expressing Yourself in Japanese: Permission & Obligation

The Traffic Light Analogy 🚦

Imagine you’re driving a car. Traffic lights tell you what you can do, must do, and can’t do. Japanese grammar works the same way!

• 🟢 Green Light = You CAN do it (ability, permission)
• 🔴 Red Light = You CAN’T do it (prohibition)
• 🟡 Yellow Light = You SHOULD do it (obligation, recommendation)
• 🔵 Blue Arrow = You DECIDE to do it (decision)

Let’s learn each one!

1. 🟢 Expressing Ability: できる (dekiru)

What Is It?

できる (dekiru) means “can do” or “able to do.”

It’s like saying: “I have the power to do this!”

The Magic Formula

Verb (dictionary form) + こと + が + できる

Or simply:

Noun + が + できる

Real Examples

Story Time 📖

Little Yuki wanted to ride a bike. Every day she practiced. One day, she shouted to her mom:

「自転車に乗ることができる！」 Jitensha ni noru koto ga dekiru! “I can ride a bicycle!”

Her mom smiled. Yuki had the ability now!

Quick Tip 💡

• Polite: できます (dekimasu)
• Casual: できる (dekiru)

2. 🟢 Expressing Permission: ～てもいい (temo ii)

What Is It?

This means “It’s okay to…” or “You may…”

Think of it as asking: “Is the green light on for me?”

The Magic Formula

Verb (て-form) + も + いい

Real Examples

Story Time 📖

Kenji was at his friend’s house. He saw delicious cookies on the table. He asked politely:

「このクッキーを食べてもいいですか？」 Kono kukkii wo tabete mo ii desu ka? “May I eat these cookies?”

His friend said 「いいよ！」 (Ii yo! = Sure!)

The green light was given! 🍪

Quick Tip 💡

• Add ですか at the end to make it a polite question
• Remove it for casual permission

3. 🔴 Expressing Prohibition: ～てはいけない (tewa ikenai)

What Is It?

This means “You must not…” or “It’s forbidden to…”

This is the red light. STOP! 🛑

The Magic Formula

Verb (て-form) + は + いけない/だめ

Real Examples

Story Time 📖

At the museum, little Hana saw a beautiful statue. She reached out her hand…

Her teacher quickly said:

「触ってはいけません！」 Sawatte wa ikemasen! “You must not touch!”

Hana pulled her hand back. The red light was on! 🚫

Casual vs Polite

4. 🟡 Expressing Obligation: ～なければならない (nakereba naranai)

What Is It?

This means “must do” or “have to do.”

It’s like the yellow light saying: “You HAVE to do this!”

The Magic Formula

Verb (ない-form, remove ない) + なければ + ならない

Easier version:

Verb (ない-form, remove ない) + なきゃ (casual)

Real Examples

Story Time 📖

Taro wanted to play video games, but his mom said:

「まず宿題をしなければなりません！」 Mazu shukudai wo shinakereba narimasen! “First, you must do your homework!”

Taro sighed. The obligation light was yellow! 📚

Shortcut Forms

5. 🟡 Expressing Recommendation: ～たほうがいい (ta hou ga ii)

What Is It?

This means “You should…” or “It’s better to…”

It’s friendly advice, like a blinking yellow: “Hey, I suggest this!”

The Magic Formula

Positive recommendation:

Verb (た-form) + ほうがいい

Negative recommendation:

Verb (ない-form) + ほうがいい

Real Examples

Story Time 📖

Sakura had a big test tomorrow. Her older brother said:

「今夜は早く寝たほうがいいよ。」 Konya wa hayaku neta hou ga ii yo. “You should go to sleep early tonight.”

Good advice from a caring brother! 💤

Positive vs Negative

6. 🔵 Making Decisions: ～ことにする (koto ni suru)

What Is It?

This means “I decide to…” or “I’ve decided to…”

It’s like pressing the turn signal. You’re choosing your path!

The Magic Formula

Present decision:

Verb (dictionary form) + ことにする

Past decision (already decided):

Verb (dictionary form) + ことにした

Real Examples

Story Time 📖

After much thinking, Mai finally made up her mind:

「来年、日本語を勉強することにしました！」 Rainen, nihongo wo benkyou suru koto ni shimashita! “I’ve decided to study Japanese next year!”

Her own decision, her own path! 🎯

Bonus: ことになる (koto ni naru)

This means “It has been decided that…” (by circumstances/others)

Example:

来月、東京に転勤することになりました。 I’ve been transferred to Tokyo next month. (company decided)

🎯 Summary: Your Traffic Light System

graph LR
    A["EXPRESS YOURSELF"] --> B["🟢 ABILITY<br>できる"]
    A --> C["🟢 PERMISSION<br>てもいい"]
    A --> D["🔴 PROHIBITION<br>てはいけない"]
    A --> E["🟡 OBLIGATION<br>なければならない"]
    A --> F["🟡 RECOMMENDATION<br>たほうがいい"]
    A --> G["🔵 DECISION<br>ことにする"]

Quick Reference Table

🌟 You Did It!

Now you have six powerful tools to express yourself in Japanese:

1. ✅ Say what you CAN do
2. ✅ Ask for PERMISSION
3. ✅ Understand PROHIBITIONS
4. ✅ Express OBLIGATIONS
5. ✅ Give RECOMMENDATIONS
6. ✅ Share your DECISIONS

Just remember the traffic light:

• 🟢 Green = CAN/MAY
• 🔴 Red = MUST NOT
• 🟡 Yellow = MUST/SHOULD
• 🔵 Blue = DECIDE

You’re ready to express yourself like a pro! 🎉

“Every journey begins with a single decision. 日本語を勉強することにしましょう！” — Let’s decide to study Japanese!