Which one should you use?
While 写真を撮ってもいいですか？ is a standard polite request, you can use 写真を撮ってもいい？ to ask "Is it okay if I take a photo?" in a more casual setting. For an even more casual, abbreviated version, you can say 写真いい？ which means "Photo, okay?" If you wish to be extremely respectful, you can use the formal phrase 写真を撮らせていただけますか？ to mean "Could I have the honor of taking a photo?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 写真を撮ってもいいですか？ is polite and is the best choice when asking strangers, or staff in places like shops and museums. The form 写真を撮ってもいい？ is informal and should be used with friends or peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the ~te mo ii desu ka pattern, which is the standard grammatical way to ask for permission in Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?
When do people say it?
When you ask to take a photo, a common positive response you might hear is はい、いいですよ (Yes, that's fine). If the request is not allowed, someone may say すみません、ダメです (Sorry, no/it's not allowed).
Did you know?
- The word for photograph, 写真, literally means 'copying light'.
- Even if you say 写真を撮ってもいいですか？, you may still be denied in certain Japanese shrines or temples due to sacredness. In these areas, the lack of permission is not a rejection of you, but a sign of respect for the deity.
- In Japan, it is common practice to bow slightly when asking for permission to take a photo of a person. This physical gesture reinforces the politeness of your spoken words and shows respect for the subject's privacy.
Examples in context
- 写真を撮ってもいいですか？shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?Can I take a picture?
- ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか？koko de shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?Can I take a picture here?
Example conversation
Misaki asks Yota for permission to take a photo of him in front of a landmark.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太さん、写真を撮ってもいいですか？Yota-san, shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?Yota, can I take a picture of you?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、もちろんいいですよ。Hai, mochiron ii desu yo.Yes, of course.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとうございます！Arigatou gozaimasu!Thank you very much!
- 陽太 Yotaいえいえ、どうぞ。Iie ie, douzo.No problem, go ahead.
