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Don't have to A
20
今日 の 授 業 は いつも よ り 短 い か ら 、 その プ リ ン ト が 終 わ ら な く て も い い ！ 
Today's class is shorter than usual, so it's ok if you don't finish that worksheet.
15
家 に は 誰 も いない か ら 、 服 を 着 な く て も い い で し ょ う ！ 
There's no one in the house, so it's alright if I don't wear any clothes!
7
お 姉 さ ん は 頭 が い い の で 全 然 勉 強 し な く て も よい 。 
My older sister is really smart, so she doesn't have to study.
17
そ ん な に 緊 張 しなくて も い い で す よ 。 
There's no need to be that tense.
6
彼 は 今日 学 校 に 行 か な く て も い い 。 
He doesn't have to go to school today.
8
彼 は この こと を し 無 くても 良 い 。 
He does not have to do this.
7
私 は 日 本 語 を 勉 強 し 無 くても 良 い で す 。 
I do not have to study Japanese.
8
私 は 自 分 が 言 っ た こと について 謝らなくてもよい 。 
I don't have to apologize for what I said.
9
あなた は 速 く 走 ら な く て も よい 。 
You do not have to run fast.
7
そ ん な に 急 が な く て も い い よ 。 間 に 合 う か ら 。 
You don't need to rush so much. We'll make it.

Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
AVerb: ない form -い くて
 
ANoun じゃなくて
 
Aな-adjective じゃなくて
 
Aい-adjective -い くなくて
 
 
もいい/よい
Basic Examples:
聞かなくてもいい (don't have to listen)

晴れじゃなくてもいい (it doesn't have to be clear)

静かじゃなくてもいい (don't have to be quiet)

安くなくてもいい (doesn't have to be cheap)

Related Expressions
てもかまわない
Where this grammar is found


User notes
avatar
宮本勝利
Level: 1
(14 years ago)
In colloquial speech, people quite often drop the も particle. For example, 飲まなくてもいいですか [Is it ok not to drink (it)?] will often be shortened to 飲まなくていいですか or 飲まなくていい？
5

Discussion about this grammar
avatar
darkje
Level: 1
Can you not also use adjectives and nouns with this construction?

For example:

げんきじゃなくてもいい
あつくなくてもいい
ともだちじゃなくてもいい

Also the form here is listed with a title of なくてもよい, but the meaning is listed as なくてもいい, same as the てもいい　form. Should we not make the term the same over the whole grammar and make a note that よい is also possible?
2
14 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 262
There ya go!
1
14 years ago
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Lang_learner
Level: 1
To be more polite, can you and です (and for casual, だ) to the end of もいい? All the user sentences just end with もいい by itself. Thanks in advance!
1
11 years ago
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karmakaze11
Level: 1
Yep, you'll usually find this form with at least a だ at the end :)
1
11 years ago
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できるだけ
Level: 28
Actually, using だ after いい (or any other い-adjective) isn't technically correct (though a Google search will turn up some examples of Japanese people saying it, in the same way native speakers make mistakes in English.) です、でしょう、だろう are all fine, though.
3
11 years ago
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マドゥリ
Level: 1
お姉さんは頭がいいので全然勉強しなくてもよい成績を取る。 I don't think this model sentence (the third one) has the meaning of 'Dont have to'.
2
11 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 262
Corrected it to use this grammar expression.
3
11 years ago
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Jazim
Level: 1
マイコー は 09月 24日, 2:12に
There ya go!
と言いました。

what is the difference 行かなくてもいい and 行くことはない

1
3 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 262

@Jazim

Good question!　When used with verbs/actions, they are essentially the same. A couple of notes, though:

1. Based on the awesome book 日本語文型辞典, ことはない is often used to say something that encourages/cheers up the listener (ex. 心配することはない - you don't need to worry)

2. ことはない has a secondary meaning - "There are not times when A" - so "無料で行けることはない" would be something like "There are not/no times when you can go for free."

1
3 years ago
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