789 - ～なくてもいい (don't have to...)
Before getting into this lesson, you should review this previous lesson of ours: [NDL #679] - JLPT N4: ～てもいい (permission).
While ～てもいい is used when giving permission to do something, ～なくてもいい is used when giving permission to not do something.
In other words, it means something like "don't have to..." or "it's not necessary to..."
For example:
You're not familiar with airline travel. At the check-in counter, you ask...
A:
このかばんも預けなければなりませんか。
この かばん も あずけなければなりません か。
Do I need to check this bag, as well?
Literally: “this + bag + も + must entrust / must deposit + か.”
The friendly person at the counter then explains...
B:
いいえ、小さいかばんは預けなくてもいいですよ。
いいえ、 ちいさい かばん は あずけなくてもいい です よ。
No, you don’t need to check small bags.
Literally: “no, + small + bag + は + don’t have to check (=even if [you] don’t entrust / deposit + good) + です + よ.”
(Note: If you're overwhelmed by the ～なければなりません ending in that first sentence, fear not. We'll have a lesson on that eventually, too.)
If you've read all of the N4 lessons up to this point, ～なくてもいい shouldn't scare you too much:
預ける
あずける
to entrust [something]; to leave [something] in the care of [someone]; to deposit [something]
↓ ↓ ↓
預けない
あずけない
not entrust [something]; not leave [something] in the care of [someone]; not deposit [something]
↓ ↓ ↓
預けなくても
あずけなくても
even if [you] don't entrust [something]; even if [you] don't leave [something] in the care of [someone]; even if [you] don't deposit [something]
↓ ↓ ↓
預けなくてもいい
あずけなくてもいい
[you] don't have to entrust [something]; it's not necessary to entrust [something]
[you] don't have to leave [something] in the care of [someone]; it's not necessary to leave [something] in the care of [someone]
[you] don't have to deposit [something]; it's not necessary to deposit [something]
Maybe I should've used a verb with a shorter definition for our example, yeah? Oops.
Let's look at some more examples...
You might hear something like this on a cooking show:
辛い物が苦手な人は、唐辛子を入れなくてもいいです。
からい もの が にがてな ひと は、 とうがらし を いれなくてもいい です。
For people that don’t like spicy food, it’s not necessary to add the peppers.
Literally: “spicy + thing + が + disliked + person + は, + pepper + を + don’t have to add (=even if [you] don’t insert + good) + です.”
You might say this to a coworker after the two of you slip up at work:
このことは社長に言わなくてもいいでしょうか。
この こと は しゃちょう に いわなくてもいい でしょう か。
I wonder if it would be OK (for us) to keep this from the boss.
Literally: “this + thing + は + company president + に + don’t have to say (=even if [we] don’t say + good) + でしょう + か.”
Note: In more natural English, we would probably say the company president's name instead of "boss," but we are translating the sentence without that contextual information.
A couple of things:
1) You can use words like かまわない (more formally, かまいません) instead of いい.
2) You can use ～なくてもいい in a question (which technically we already saw in our previous example).
For example, maybe you're entering a shop or restaurant that has a step up into it. That often means you need to take off your shoes. However, you don't see any shoe boxes or shoes on the floor, so you ask:
A:
靴は脱がなくてもかまいませんか。
くつ は ぬがなくてもかまいません か。
It is all right if I don’t take off my shoes?
Literally: “shoes + は + don’t have to take off (=even if [I] don’t take off + is not an issue / doesn’t matter / doesn’t bother you) + か.”
You are told:
B:
ええ、かまいませんよ。靴のままあがってください。
ええ、 かまいません よ。 くつ の まま あがって ください。
Yes, that’s no problem. Please come in with your shoes on.
Literally: “yes, + is not an issue / doesn’t matter + よ. + shoes + の + as something is / unchanged + please come in (=rise [and] please).”
Aside from かまわない, the word 大丈夫 (だいじょうぶ) is also commonly used. So we could have put:
靴は脱がなくても大丈夫ですか。
くつ は ぬがなくてもだいじょうぶ です か。
It is all right if I don’t take off my shoes?
Literally: “shoes + は + don’t have to take off (=even if [I] don’t take off + OK / all right) + です + か.”
Sometimes people remove the も from ～なくてもいい：
海外旅行は慣れてるから、心配しなくていいよ。
かいがい りょこう は なれてる から、 しんぱい しなくていい よ。
I’m used to traveling abroad, so you don’t need to worry about me.
Literally: “overseas + trip / travel + は + am being used to + because, + don’t have to worry (=worry / anxiety + even if [you] don't do + good) + よ.”
Note: The speaker might be talking to his mother, who is worried about him traveling, for instance.
Somewhat similarly, you can use the ending ～なくたっていい.
～なくたっていい sounds a bit stronger than ～なくていい.
In the following sentence, for example, it sounds like the speaker is emphasizing that his mother doesn't need to worry. Maybe he thinks she is overreacting a bit:
海外旅行は慣れてるから、心配しなくたっていいよ。
かいがい りょこう は なれてる から、 しんぱい しなくたっていい よ。
I’m used to traveling abroad, so you don’t need to worry about me.
Literally: “overseas + trip / travel + は + am being used to + because, + don’t have to worry (=worry / anxiety + even if [you] don’t do + good + よ).”
Note: Depending on the situation, maybe we could add "I'm telling you" to the beginning of our translation to better convey the nuance of ～なくたっていい.
Our last example:
A:
ごめん。貸してくれた本、なくしちゃった。
ごめん。 かして くれた ほん、 なくしちゃった。
I lost the book you lent me. Sorry.
Literally: “sorry. + lend (and) + gave (me) + book, + (accidentally / unfortunately) lost.”
B:
捨てるつもりだったから、謝らなくたってかまわないよ。
すてる つもり だった から、 あやまらなくたってかまわない よ。
No need to apologize. I was planning to throw it away, anyway.
Literally: “throw away + intention + was + because, + don’t have to apologize (=even if [you] don’t apologize + it doesn’t matter / I don’t mind) + よ.”
This is a highly useful grammar point.
It's one that you should be able to use in your own speech, in addition to simply understanding it.
You know what that means...
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