なくてもいいDon't have to

も can be dropped in casual speech

Structure

Verb［なくて］ + （も） + いい

Details

About なくてもいい

なくてもいい is simply the opposite of てもいい, and highlights that it is 'ok even if (A) is not done'. This usually comes across as being quite polite, and sounds like 'don't worry about doing (A)' in English.

なくてもいい is a combination of the auxiliary verb ない in its conjunction form, with てもいい.

In order to make this phrase sound even more casual, the adverbial particle も may be omitted. This does not change the nuance at all, but will sound a bit more friendly (when used with people that you know well).

Synonyms

Antonyms

なくてはいけない
Must do, Have to do
Not studied yet

Examples

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忙(いそが)しいなら、行(い)かなくてもいいです。

If you are busy, you do not have to go.

掃除(そうじ)をしなくてもいいですか。

It is alright even if I don't clean?

その青(あお)いセーターを着(き)なくてもいいですよ。

It is alright even if you do not wear that blue sweater.

そんなに怒(おこ)らなくてもいい。

You don't have to be that angry.

これ以上(いじょう)飲(の)まなくてもいい。

You don't have to drink more than this.

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なくてもいい – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (8 in total)

packie11
Question - why do we use verb+なくてもいい, and not verb+ないでもいい (like ないでください)? Is ないでもいい even correct grammar? Would it have a different meaning?
nekoyama
Just by convention, I think. ないでもいい has the same meaning and is correct enough to appear in some dictionaries＊ and in literature. But it’s rare enough that a native speaker might call it wrong. On the other hand, nobody would call なくてもいい wrong.

＊ E.g. the 日本語文型辞典 has an entry on ないでもよい
Fuga
Hey @packie11 !

Verb+なくてもいい is grammatically correct (Correct Japanese). Verb+ないでもいい is technically not correct, but it is commonly used in everyday conversations. Even though verb+ないでもいい is commonly used, because verb+なくてもいい is the one that is considered ‘correct’, it would be better to use verb+なくてもいい in writing and in conversations with people that are not your peers.