遊んでもいい？
asondemo ii?
The Japanese phrase for "can I play?" is 遊んでもいい？ (asondemo ii?)
This phrase is used as a request to ask for permission to join in an activity or a game.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 遊んでもいい？ is informal and is the natural way for a child to speak to family members or peers. For a more polite version suitable for speaking to an adult or a stranger, you can add ですか？ to the end to say 遊んでもいいですか？ There is also a formal way to phrase this as Tomo ni asobete moraemasu ka?, which translates to "Would you be willing to play with me?"
How do you pronounce it?
asondemo ii?
When do people say it?
When a child asks to join in, a common informal way to grant permission is to say いいよ (Sure / Okay), while an informal way to refuse permission is to say だめだよ (No / You can't).
Did you know?
- In a surprising twist, when an adult uses 遊ぶ (asobu) in a nightlife context, it can refer to 'partying' or visiting entertainment districts.
- The word 遊び (asobi) is also used in technical fields like engineering to describe 'play' or 'slack' in a mechanical joint.
- If an adult says they are 遊んでいる (asonde iru) regarding their career, it means they are 'loafing' or not working.
Examples in context
- 遊んでもいい？asonde mo ii?Can I play?
- いっしょに遊んでもいい？issho ni asonde mo ii?Can I play together with you?
- ここでも遊んでもいい？koko demo asonde mo ii?Can I play here too?
Example conversation
Yota sees Himari playing with blocks.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵、遊んでもいい？Himari, asonde mo ii?Himari, can I play?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、いいよ！Un, ii yo!Yeah, sure!
- 陽太 Yotaやった！ありがとう。Yatta! Arigatou.Yay! Thank you.
- 陽葵 Himariいっしょに作ろうね。Isshoni tsukurou ne.Let's build it together.
