Expressing Lack of Obligation, with
～なくてもいいです
You don't have to / need to ～

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An example:

高校３年生の生徒は、せいふくを　きなくてもいいです。

• Third-year high school students (Y13s) don't have to wear uniforms.

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Forming the Stucture:

To form the first half (the ～なくても bit):

• Begin with a verb in the plain form negative.
  
  E.g. しない (I don't do); やらない (I don't do); 行かない (I don't go)
  
  
• Remove the final ない and replace with なくても
  
  
• So, しない becomes しなくても (even if you don't do); 
  
  やらない becomes やらなくても (even if you don't do); 
  ​
  ​行かない becomes 行かなくても (even if you don't go). 

To form the second half (the いいです bit):

• Simply add いいです, which means "it's OK"/"it's fine"/"it's (all) good"
  
  
• Essentially, you're saying "Even if you don't do (A), it's fine", so in other words, "You don't have to do (A)".
  
  
• Which gives you: 
  
  しなくてもいいです・やらなくてもいいです (both mean "You don't have to do"); ​
  ​
  ​行かなくてもいいです ("You don't have to go")

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Some more examples:

ようちえん生は、しゅくだいを　しなくてもいいです。

• Kindergarten students don't have to do homework.

きらいな物を　食べなくてもいいです。

• You don't have to eat the things you don't like.

くつを　ぬがなくてもいいですか。

• Is it alright if I don't take my shoes off?​​

はい、ぬがなくてもいいです。

• Yes, it's alright if you don't take them off.

​いいえ、ぬがなければいけません。

• No, you must take them off.

PRACTISE USING "NAKUTE MO II" ON QUIZLET