遊んでもいいですか？
asonde mo ii desu ka?
The English phrase "can we play?" is expressed in Japanese as 遊んでもいいですか？ (asonde mo ii desu ka?)
This phrase is a polite request used to ask for permission to play with someone or to join an activity.
Which one should you use?
While 遊んでもいいですか？ focuses on asking for permission to join an activity, 一緒に遊びませんか？ is used to suggest or invite someone to play together (literally, "won't you play with me?").
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase informal, you can drop the desu ka from the end of the polite version, resulting in 遊んでもいい？
How do you pronounce it?
asonde mo ii desu ka?
When do people say it?
If someone asks for permission to play, a common polite way to grant it is to say いいですよ (Sure / That's fine). A direct way to refuse permission is だめです (No / You can't), though be aware that this can sound quite harsh depending on the context.
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, refusing a request to 遊ぶ (asobu) is often done indirectly. Rather than saying だめです, people may say ちょっと… (a little…) and trail off, leaving the refusal implied.
- Children often use the form あそぼ to transform a request for permission into a shared call to action.
- The verb 遊ぶ (asobu), meaning 'to play', is used by Japanese adults to describe hanging out with friends or enjoying leisure time, not just for children playing with toys.
Examples in context
- 田中さん、遊びませんか？Tanaka-san, would you like to play?
- 田中くん、遊ばない？Tanaka-kun, wanna play?
- 一緒に遊んでもいいですか？issho ni asondemo ii desu ka?Can we play together?
- ここで遊んでもいいですか？koko de asondemo ii desu ka?Can we play here?
- あの子と遊んでもいいですか？ano ko to asondemo ii desu ka?Can I play with that child?
Example conversation
Two children are at a park wanting to join another group.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さん、遊んでもいいですか？Misaki-san, asonde mo ii desu ka?Misaki, can we play?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、いいよ！一緒に遊ぼう。Un, ii yo! Issho ni asobou.Yes, sure! Let's play together.
- 大翔 Hirotoやった！ありがとう。Yatta! Arigatou.Yay! Thank you.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔くん、こっちに来て！Hiroto-kun, kocchi ni kite!Hiroto, come over here!
