Breakdown of kaigi no ato de tantousya ni situmon wo site mo ii desu ka?
ですdesu
to be
をwo
direct object particle
かka
question particle
のno
possessive case particle
にni
indirect object particle
質問situmon
question
会議kaigi
meeting
〜て も いい〜te mo ii
to be permitted to
担当者tantousya
person in charge
質問するsitumonsuru
to ask
あと でato de
after
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Questions & Answers about kaigi no ato de tantousya ni situmon wo site mo ii desu ka?
What does the particle に after 担当者 do?
It marks the person you direct the action to: you ask someone. The pattern is:
- 人 に 質問する / 聞く / 尋ねる Using を with the person (e.g., 担当者を質問する) is incorrect. You can reorder as 質問を 担当者に する, but the person still takes に.
Why is it 質問をしても and not just 質問する?
Because the permission pattern is V-て も いい. You need the verb’s て-form: する → して, then add もいい.
- 質問してもいいですか = May I ask a question?
Do I have to include を in 質問をする?
No. With する-verbs, を is optional:
- 質問をする and 質問する are both natural. Including を can sound a touch more careful/emphatic, but there’s no big difference here.
What does も mean in してもいい?
Here 〜てもいい is a set pattern meaning “may/it’s okay to.” Literally, “even if I do X, it’s okay,” but functionally it asks permission. You can also say していいですか; してもいいですか is a bit softer.
How polite is 〜てもいいですか? Are there more formal options?
Politeness scale (roughly):
- Casual: 質問してもいい？
- Polite standard: 質問してもいいですか。
- More formal: 質問してもよろしいですか。
- Very formal/business: 質問してもよろしいでしょうか。
- Very deferential (humble): 会議のあとで、担当の方にお伺いしてもよろしいでしょうか。 / 質問させていただいてもよろしいでしょうか。
Why あとで? Can I drop で or use に?
With this pattern, both N の あと(で) and V-た あと(で) are fine; で is often optional:
- 会議のあと(で) … = after the meeting You can also say あとに (e.g., 会議のあとに). In everyday speech, あとで is most common; あとに can feel a bit more formal or sequence-focused. In this sentence, all three are acceptable.
What’s the difference between 〜たあとで and 〜てから?
- 〜てから emphasizes sequence/dependency (“do B after finishing A; first A, then B”), often implying the next step.
- 〜たあとで is more neutral “after,” and can feel like “sometime after.” Both can overlap:
- 会議が終わってから、担当者に質問します。 (stresses order/next step)
- 会議が終わったあとで、担当者に質問します。 (after it’s over; not necessarily immediate)
Can I omit some particles here?
Yes, natural variants include:
- 会議のあと、担当者に質問してもいいですか。 (omit で, omit を) All are common in speech.
Can I move the time phrase around?
Yes. Time expressions are flexible:
- 担当者に、会議のあとで質問してもいいですか。
- 会議のあとで、担当者に質問してもいいですか。 (most common/clear) Keep it where it’s clearest.
Who is the subject here? There’s no “I.”
Japanese often omits obvious subjects. In a permission question like this, the subject is understood as “I/we” from context.
What exactly does 担当者 mean, and is there a politer way to say it?
担当者 (たんとうしゃ) = “the person in charge/担当 person.” It’s neutral. A politer phrasing in conversation is 担当の方. In emails/letters, you might address with ご担当者様 (as a salutation), but within a sentence you’d usually keep 担当の方/担当者.
Could I use 聞く instead of 質問する?
Yes:
- 担当者に聞いてもいいですか。 = May I ask the person in charge? Be careful: 質問を聞く means “to hear a question,” not “to ask a question.” To ask, use 質問する, 聞く, or 尋ねる with 人に.
Is 〜しても大丈夫ですか okay?
It’s common in casual speech: 質問しても大丈夫ですか。 In formal or careful contexts, prefer 〜してもいいですか / よろしいですか.
Should I say ご質問 about my own question?
No. ご質問 is honorific and used for the other person’s question:
- Asking others: ご質問はありますか。 (Do you have any questions?)
- About yourself: 質問してもいいですか。 (not ご質問しても)