いいですよ
The English phrase "sure, no problem" can be said in Japanese as いいですよ.
いいですよ is a polite way to grant permission or agree to a request.
Which one should you use?
While いいです is a polite statement of "it is fine", adding よ (ii desu yo) makes it sound more like a helpful "sure" or "no problem" in response to a request.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form いいですよ is polite. You can make the phrase informal for friends or family by dropping the です to say いいよ. For formal situations, you can use もちろんです to mean "Of course" or かまいません to mean "It does not bother (me)".
Did you know?
- While いいですよ means 'no problem' when granting a request, saying いいです while waving your hand often means 'no thank you' or 'I am fine without it'.
- In a business setting, using いいですよ to agree to a request can sometimes sound slightly condescending, as if you are granting a favor from a position of superiority.
- The word いい (ii) in いいですよ is a contraction of the older word よい (yoi), which means 'good'.
Example conversation
Hina is helping Kenta with a heavy bag.
- 陽葵 Himariこの荷物を運ぶのを手伝ってくれますか？Kono nimotsu o hakobu no o tetsudatte kuremasu ka?Could you help me carry this luggage?
- 健太 Kentaいいですよ。持ちますね。Ii desu yo. Mochimasu ne.Sure, no problem. I'll take it.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとうございます、助かります！Arigatou gozaimasu, tasukarimasu!Thank you, that really helps!
- 健太 Kenta気にしないでください。Ki ni shinaide kudasai.Please don't worry about it.
