Japanese Grammar Guide: と言ってもいい (to itte mo ii)

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Japanese Grammar Guide: と言ってもいい (to itte mo ii)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘It’s not too much to say…’, ‘One might even say…’, ‘You could say that…’

🎯 Primary Function

To make a definitive or slightly exaggerated statement while softening the tone by phrasing it as a possibility.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Plain Form) + と言ってもいい / Noun + だ + と言ってもいい
I-adjective + と言ってもいい
Na-adjective + だ + と言ってもいい
Verb (Negative) + と言ってもいい / ~ないと言ってもいい

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Frequently used in speeches, business presentations, or academic writing to state a conclusion.

😊 Informal Situations

Used among friends to express strong agreement or emphasize a point during a discussion.

✍️ Written Language

Very common in editorials, reviews, and literature to provide emphasis.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Commonly used in interviews, documentaries, and polite conversation.

💡 Common Applications

Emphasizing an Opinion
Used when you want to express a strong opinion or evaluation, acknowledging it might be slightly bold but still accurate.
Example: 彼は天才と言ってもいい。 (You could say he is a genius.)
Summarizing a Situation
Used to conclude that a state is effectively reached, even if technically there are minor things left.
Example: 準備は完了したと言ってもいい。 (One could say the preparations are complete.)
Using Metaphors
Commonly used to provide a metaphorical description of a concept.
Example: 人生は冒険と言ってもいい。 (One might say life is an adventure.)
📊
Frequency
Common in essays, reviews, and formal speeches.
🎚️
Difficulty
N3/N4 (Advanced beginner to Intermediate)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
彼は天才と言ってもいい。
Furigana: かれ は てんさい といって も いい。
Romaji: Kare wa tensai to itte mo ii.
English: It’s not too much to say that he is a genius.
Example #2
ここは世界で一番美しい場所と言ってもいいでしょう。
Furigana: ここ は せかい で いちばん うつくしい ばしょ といって も いい でしょう。
Romaji: Koko wa sekai de ichiban utsukushii basho to itte mo ii deshou.
English: One might even say this is the most beautiful place in the world.
Example #3
準備はほぼ終わったと言ってもいい。
Furigana: じゅんび は ほぼ おわった といって も いい。
Romaji: Junbi wa hobo owatta to itte mo ii.
English: It’s safe to say that the preparations are almost finished.
Example #4
彼女は私の恩人と言ってもいい存在だ。
Furigana: かのじょ は わたし の おんじん といって も いい そんざい だ。
Romaji: Kanojo wa watashi no onjin to itte mo ii sonzai da.
English: She is a person who could be called my benefactor.
Example #5
この計画は成功したと言ってもいい。
Furigana: この けいかく は せいこう した といって も いい。
Romaji: Kono keikaku wa seikou shita to itte mo ii.
English: It can be said that this project was a success.
Example #6
日本のアニメは世界の文化と言ってもいい。
Furigana: にほん の アニメ は せかい の ぶんか といって も いい。
Romaji: Nihon no anime wa sekai no bunka to itte mo ii.
English: You could say that Japanese anime has become a part of world culture.
Example #7
彼はプロの料理人と言ってもいい腕前だ。
Furigana: かれ は プロ の りょうりにん といって も いい うでまえ だ。
Romaji: Kare wa puro no ryourinin to itte mo ii udemae da.
English: He has skills that you could call professional-grade.
Example #8
この映画は最高傑作と言ってもいいだろう。
Furigana: この えいが は さいこう けっさく といって も いい だろう。
Romaji: Kono eiga wa saikou kessaku to itte mo ii darou.
English: One might even say this movie is a masterpiece.
Example #9
人生は旅と言ってもいい。
Furigana: じんせい は たび といって も いい。
Romaji: Jinsei wa tabi to itte mo ii.
English: You could say that life itself is a journey.
Example #10
彼は私の兄弟と言ってもいい仲だ。
Furigana: かれ は わたし の きょうだい といって も いい なか だ。
Romaji: Kare wa watashi no kyoudai to itte mo ii naka da.
English: We are so close you could call him my brother.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Use with “Hobo” or “Mou”
It is often used with adverbs like ‘almost’ (hobo) or ‘practically’ (mou) to show that a state is nearly reached.
Example: ほぼ完璧と言ってもいい。
Adding speculation (darou/deshou)
Adding ‘darou’ or ‘deshou’ at the end makes the assertion slightly more speculative and softer.
Example: 最高傑作と言ってもいいだろう。

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ きれいと言ってもいい。 (Incomplete)
✅ きれいだと言ってもいい。
Na-adjectives and Nouns require “da” before “to itte mo ii” in most contexts to be grammatically correct.
❌ 今は午後二時と言ってもいい。 (Incorrect context)
✅ 天才と言ってもいい。
Avoid using this for objective, literal facts (like “It is 2 PM”). It must involve subjective evaluation or summary.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Polite but assertive. It allows the speaker to express a strong view without sounding overly aggressive.
Social Situations: Used when giving a high evaluation of someone’s work or a specific situation.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

と言ってもいい vs. と言っても過言ではない
‘To itte mo ii’ is common and polite; ‘To itte mo kagon de wa nai’ (no exaggeration) is much more formal and dramatic.
When to use: Use ‘to itte mo ii’ for general opinions; use ‘kagon de wa nai’ for very strong, impactful statements in formal writing.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Always follows the plain form. For nouns and na-adjectives, ‘da’ is usually included, though in casual speech it is sometimes dropped. For a more formal tone, use ‘といってもいいでしょう’ (to itte mo ii deshou).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The ‘mo’ should be lightly emphasized to highlight the ‘even if’ nuance. Avoid a long pause before ‘to’.

🧠 Memory Tips

Break it down: ‘To’ (quotation) + ‘itte’ (saying) + ‘mo ii’ (is okay). ‘It is okay even if I say [X]’.

Other Grammar

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