You sign up for a new Japanese app and a screen appears: 「利用規約に同意する」. You get a business email that ends with 「ご了承ください」. Your colleague asks you to 「この件を承諾してもらえますか」. And when you try to photograph a beautiful temple, the staff tells you 「撮影許可が必要です」.
All four of these situations involve some kind of agreement, consent, or permission — but each word works in a completely different way. Swap one for another and you will either sound awkward, too casual, or even rude. This guide breaks down 同意（どうい）, 承諾（しょうだく）, 了承（りょうしょう）, and 許可（きょか）so you always reach for the right word.
| Word | Reading | Core meaning | Typical context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 同意 | どうい | Agreement / consent | Terms of service, opinions, privacy policy |
| 承諾 | しょうだく | Acceptance of a request / proposal | Business requests, contracts, formal replies |
| 了承 | りょうしょう | Understanding / acknowledgement of circumstances | Notifications of inconvenience, workplace replies |
| 許可 | きょか | Permission for an action | Photography, app access, official authorisation |
Quick Answer — 同意 vs 承諾 vs 了承 vs 許可
同意 means agreement or consent to terms or opinions
同意（どうい）is the most neutral word for “agree” or “consent.” You use it when you agree with someone’s opinion or when you accept a written set of terms, rules, or policies. It describes a meeting of minds: both parties hold the same position, or one party accepts the conditions the other has set out.
承諾 means accepting a request, proposal, or condition
承諾（しょうだく）steps into the picture when someone has made a specific request or proposal and the other party formally accepts it. There is a direction here: Party A asks, Party B accepts. It is more formal than a simple 「いいです」and carries the weight of a commitment.
了承 means understanding and accepting circumstances
了承（りょうしょう）is about acknowledging a situation — often one you did not choose and may not entirely like — and indicating that you understand and accept it. The classic phrase 「ご了承ください」asks the other party to accept an inconvenience. This word carries a directional power dynamic, which makes it risky if used incorrectly.
許可 means giving permission for an action
許可（きょか）is straightforward permission: an authority figure (a person, a company, a government body) allows something that would otherwise be restricted. The emphasis is on granting access or an exception. It shows up everywhere from temple photography rules to smartphone app permission dialogs.
Why English speakers mix these up
In English, “agree,” “accept,” “acknowledge,” and “allow” are four separate concepts that stay reasonably separate. In Japanese, however, 同意, 承諾, and 了承 can all be translated as “accept” depending on the dictionary — and that is precisely where confusion starts. The key is context: who is talking to whom, and what is being agreed to?
What Does 同意（どうい）Mean?
同意 as consent or agreement
同意 is built from 同（おな）じ = “same” + 意（い）= “intention / meaning.” It literally captures the idea of “holding the same intention.” It is the go-to word for any situation where you agree with a statement, a plan, or a set of conditions.
同意する is the verb form (“to agree / to consent”), and 同意 alone works as a noun (“consent / agreement”). You will encounter it constantly on digital forms, app sign-up screens, and medical consent paperwork.
利用規約に同意する / 個人情報への同意
The most visible use of 同意 in daily Japanese life is online. Almost every Japanese website or app presents a checkbox with:
▶ 利用規約（りようきやく）に同意する — “I agree to the Terms of Service”
▶ 個人情報（こじんじょうほう）の取扱いに同意する — “I consent to the handling of personal information”
▶ プライバシーポリシーに同意する — “I agree to the Privacy Policy”
Notice that 同意 is used with に (indicating what you are consenting to). This に + 同意する pattern is one of the most reliable structures to memorise.
同意する vs 賛成する — a brief note
Both words can translate as “agree,” but they are not interchangeable. 賛成（さんせい）する means to be in favour of a plan, proposal, or motion — the kind of agreement you express by raising your hand in a vote. 同意する is broader and covers agreeing with opinions, consenting to conditions, and accepting terms. You would 賛成する a proposal at a meeting, but you 同意する to a contract or a person’s view.
Common example sentences
● 規約に同意しないと登録できません。
きやくにどういしないととうろくできません。
You cannot register without agreeing to the terms.
● 患者の同意を得てから手術を行います。
かんじゃのどういをえてからしゅじゅつをおこないます。
We perform surgery after obtaining the patient’s consent.
● 彼女の意見に同意します。
かのじょのいけんにどういします。
I agree with her opinion.
● 全員が計画に同意した。
ぜんいんがけいかくにどういした。
Everyone agreed to the plan.
What Does 承諾（しょうだく）Mean?
承諾 as acceptance of a request or proposal
承諾 combines 承（うけたまわる, to humbly receive) + 諾（うべなう, to assent). It is a formal “yes” to a specific request, offer, or proposal. Unlike 同意, which is about sharing the same view, 承諾 is directional: someone asks, and you accept. This is the word used in business emails to confirm you will fulfill a request or that you accept a set of conditions that have been put to you.
YukaSo 承諾 is like saying “I accept your offer” rather than “I agree with your opinion”?
ReiExactly. If your client sends you a project brief and asks if you can take it on, you reply with 承諾しました — “I accept.” You wouldn't say 同意しました here.
依頼を承諾する / 条件を承諾する
The most common patterns you will encounter:
▶ 依頼（いらい）を承諾する — “to accept a request”
▶ 条件（じょうけん）を承諾する — “to accept the conditions”
▶ 申し出（もうしで）を承諾する — “to accept an offer”
▶ お引き受けすることを承諾いたします — a polite business phrase meaning “I hereby accept to take on the task”
ご承諾ください / 承諾書
When you are the one making a request and want the other party to accept it, you use ご承諾ください — “Please accept (our request).” This is polite and respectful, appropriate for writing to clients or partners.
A 承諾書（しょうだくしょ） is a formal letter of acceptance — a document stating that one party formally accepts the other party’s proposal or conditions. These are common in contracts, publishing rights agreements, and real estate transactions.
Common example sentences
● ご依頼の件、承諾いたしました。
ごいらいのけん、しょうだくいたしました。
I have accepted your request. (formal business email)
● 先方が条件を承諾してくれた。
せんぽうがじょうけんをしょうだくしてくれた。
The other party accepted our conditions.
● 承諾書にご署名いただけますか。
しょうだくしょにごしょめいいただけますか。
Could you please sign the letter of acceptance?
● 転勤の話を承諾するかどうか、家族と相談します。
てんきんのはなしをしょうだくするかどうか、かぞくとそうだんします。
I will discuss with my family whether to accept the transfer.
What Does 了承（りょうしょう）Mean?
了承 as understanding and acceptance of circumstances
了承 is built from 了（おわる, to finish / to understand fully) + 承（to receive). Together they produce the meaning of “receiving and fully understanding” a situation — particularly a difficult or inconvenient one. The important nuance is that 了承 does not imply that you are happy about the situation. It means you have been informed, you understand, and you will proceed despite whatever inconvenience exists.
This is why 了承 is so commonly used in service announcements, system maintenance notices, and workplace notifications. It is the word that says “we know this is an inconvenience — please accept it.”
ご了承ください / 了承しました
ご了承ください is the phrase you will see at the bottom of maintenance announcements, product delay notices, and policy change emails. It asks the reader to understand and accept the circumstances described above it.
了承しました is the reply — “I understand and accept” or “Noted.” In a workplace context, when a manager explains a change in procedures and an employee says 了承しました, it means “I’ve taken this on board.” However, this phrasing has an important restriction covered in the caution section below.
ご了承のほどお願いいたします
This longer, more formal phrase appears in official business communications and formal notices. It can be translated as “We ask for your kind understanding” or “We respectfully request your acceptance of this matter.” Breaking it down:
▶ ご了承 — (honorific) understanding / acceptance
▶ のほど — a softening expression (“in terms of / regarding”)
▶ お願いいたします — “we humbly request”
The full phrase is extremely polite and is appropriate in formal company announcements, legal documents, and notices directed at customers.
Politeness caution — when ご了承ください becomes rude
This is the most important nuance in this entire article, so read carefully.
ご了承ください carries a top-down power direction. The speaker is telling the listener to accept a situation. This is perfectly acceptable when a company informs customers of a price change, or when a manager notifies a team of a schedule shift. In those cases, the speaker has the authority to set the terms.
However, if you say ご了承ください to someone above you — your boss, a client, a senior colleague — it sounds like you are telling them what to accept. That is inappropriate in Japanese workplace culture and will come across as presumptuous or even rude.
YukaSo if I'm emailing my boss to say I'll be late, I shouldn't end with ご了承ください?
ReiExactly right. Instead, you'd say something like 「ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ございません。何卒ご容赦のほどお願い申し上げます。」 — “I am truly sorry for the inconvenience. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.” That keeps the power direction correct.
Similarly, replying to your boss with 了承しました can sound too flat or even dismissive, as if you are merely acknowledging an order. In many workplace situations, 承知いたしました or かしこまりました are more appropriate responses to a superior’s instructions.
Common example sentences
● ご不便をおかけしますが、ご了承ください。
ごふべんをおかけしますが、ごりょうしょうください。
We apologise for the inconvenience. Please understand. (service announcement)
● 配送の遅延について、ご了承のほどお願いいたします。
はいそうのちえんについて、ごりょうしょうのほどおねがいいたします。
We ask for your kind understanding regarding the delivery delay.
● スケジュール変更の件、了承しました。
スケジュールへんこうのけん、りょうしょうしました。
I understand and accept the schedule change. (colleague to colleague)
● 事前に了承を得ておくことが重要です。
じぜんにりょうしょうをえておくことがじゅうようです。
It is important to obtain agreement in advance.
What Does 許可（きょか）Mean?
許可 as permission
許可 means “permission” in the cleanest possible sense. An authority — a person, an organisation, or a system — grants someone the right to do something that would otherwise be restricted or prohibited. Unlike the other words in this article, 許可 focuses entirely on the granting side. The recipient gets access to do something.
Key verb patterns: 許可する (to give permission), 許可を得る (to obtain permission), 許可が下りる (permission is granted — notice the direction: permission “descends” to you), 許可を取る (to get / secure permission).
撮影許可 / 使用許可 / 許可を得る
In real-life Japan, you will encounter 許可 in these common compounds:
▶ 撮影許可（さつえいきょか） — photography permission (required at many shrines, museums, and private properties)
▶ 使用許可（しようきょか） — permission to use (a facility, material, or system)
▶ 入場許可（にゅうじょうきょか） — permission to enter a restricted area
▶ 建築許可（けんちくきょか） — building permit
▶ 許可証（きょかしょう） — a permit or licence (the physical document)
アプリの許可（カメラ・通知・位置情報）
On a Japanese-language iPhone or Android device, when an app asks for access to your camera, notifications, or location, it uses 許可 in the system dialogs:
▶ 「〇〇」がカメラへのアクセスを求めています — “[App] is requesting access to the camera”
▶ 許可 (Allow) / 許可しない (Don’t Allow)
▶ 通知（つうち）を許可する — Allow notifications
▶ 位置情報（いちじょうほう）の使用を許可 — Allow use of location information
This is a context where Japanese learners encounter 許可 every single day on their phones, even before they realise it is the same word used in photography rules at temples.
Common example sentences
● この建物の撮影には許可が必要です。
このたてもののさつえいにはきょかがひつようです。
Photography of this building requires permission.
● 上司に許可を得てから進めてください。
じょうしにきょかをえてからすすめてください。
Please proceed after obtaining permission from your supervisor.
● アプリが位置情報へのアクセス許可を求めています。
アプリがいちじょうほうへのアクセスきょかをもとめています。
The app is requesting permission to access location information.
● 許可なく複製することを禁じます。
きょかなくふくせいすることをきんじます。
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
Pairwise Comparisons
同意 vs 承諾 — agreeing to terms vs accepting a request
The difference is subtle but important. 同意 is about aligning with something that already exists — a policy, an opinion, a set of terms. There is no personal ask involved. 承諾 is about responding to a direct request or proposal from another party. If someone presents you with a document you click “agree” on, that is 同意. If someone writes to you and asks for a favour or a business commitment, your “yes” is 承諾.
| Situation | Correct word |
|---|---|
| You tick the “I agree” box on a website sign-up | 同意する |
| You reply “yes” to a client who asked you to write a report | 承諾する |
| You agree with a colleague’s idea in a meeting | 同意する / 賛成する |
| You accept a job offer that was made to you | 承諾する |
承諾 vs 了承 — accepting a request vs acknowledging circumstances
Both words confirm acceptance, but their emotional content differs. 承諾 is a clear yes to a request — you have been asked and you agree to fulfil what was asked. 了承 is more resigned or neutral: it confirms understanding and acceptance of a situation, not necessarily enthusiastic agreement. You 承諾 a job; you 了承 a delay. One is an active commitment, the other is an acknowledgement.
同意 vs 許可 — personal consent vs granting permission
同意 is a personal act: you are the one who agrees or consents. 許可 describes a power relationship: an authority grants permission to someone else. You cannot 許可する your own actions in most contexts — you receive 許可. You can 同意する to anything. To illustrate: a patient gives 同意 to surgery (personal consent); the hospital grants 許可 for a visitor to enter the ICU (institutional permission).
了承 vs 承認 — acknowledgement vs formal approval
承認（しょうにん）means formal approval — the kind that appears in workflow systems, official sign-offs, and managerial stamp-of-approval processes. A manager 承認する a budget proposal; a department head 承認する an expense report. This is more official and binding than 了承. 了承 says “I know about this and accept it”; 承認 says “I officially authorise this.” Both appear in business Japanese, but 承認 carries greater procedural weight and often creates a record (an approval log, a digital stamp, etc.).
Related Document and Form Words
同意書（どういしょ）— consent form
A 同意書 is a signed consent form. It is used widely in medical contexts (surgical consent, clinical trial participation), in research (interview consent, data use consent), and in legal situations (parental consent for a minor). The signed document proves that the party read and agreed to the stated conditions.
● 手術前に同意書へのご署名をお願いします。
しゅじゅつまえにどういしょへのごしょめいをおねがいします。
Please sign the consent form before surgery.
承諾書（しょうだくしょ）— letter of acceptance
A 承諾書 is a formal letter or document stating that one party accepts the other’s proposal, request, or conditions. It functions as a binding record of the acceptance. You will encounter these in publishing rights, franchise agreements, equipment loans, and business partnerships.
● 承諾書を受領しました。手続きを進めます。
しょうだくしょをじゅりょうしました。てつづきをすすめます。
We have received the letter of acceptance and will proceed with the formalities.
利用規約（りようきやく）— Terms of Service
利用（りよう）= use + 規約（きやく）= rules / regulations. The terms of service for any digital product or subscription. Japanese ToS pages almost always end with a button reading 「同意して続ける」 (Agree and continue) or 「同意する」 (Agree).
個人情報保護方針（プライバシーポリシー）— Privacy Policy
個人情報（こじんじょうほう）= personal information + 保護（ほご）= protection + 方針（ほうしん）= policy. This is the full Japanese name for a privacy policy. In casual contexts it is often called プライバシーポリシー (the English loanword). Forms requiring consent to data collection will say 「個人情報の取り扱いに同意する」 — “I consent to the handling of personal information.”
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
Translating every “agree” as 同意する
Since 同意 is the most direct translation of “agree,” learners often reach for it in every situation. But when your boss asks if you can handle a new project, replying 「同意します」sounds odd — like you’re agreeing with a statement rather than accepting a request. The right word there is 「承諾しました」or the safer 「承知しました」.
Using 了承しました to superiors
This is one of the most common keigo mistakes in Japanese offices. 了承しました is used between colleagues of similar standing, or from a superior to a subordinate. When used upward — from a junior to a senior — it sounds either too casual or slightly dismissive, as if you’re merely “noted”-ing what they said. Use 承知いたしました or かしこまりました to superiors instead.
| Situation | Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Replying to your manager’s instructions | 了承しました | 承知いたしました |
| Replying to a client’s request | 了承しました | 承知いたしました / 承諾いたしました |
| Colleague tells you about a change in meeting time | 承知いたしました (too stiff) | 了承しました / わかりました |
Overusing ご了承ください
Some learners pick up ご了承ください from company emails and start using it in all their business writing. The problem is that it implies you have the authority to ask the other party to accept something. When a junior employee ends an apologetic message to a client with ご了承ください, the client may feel they are being told what to accept, rather than being asked for their understanding. The more deferential alternative is ご容赦（ようしゃ）のほどお願い申し上げます (I humbly ask for your forgiveness / understanding).
Confusing 同意 and 許可
A learner trying to say “Do I have permission to record this?” might incorrectly ask 「録音に同意してもらえますか」when the correct form is 「録音の許可をいただけますか」. 同意 comes from you; 許可 is granted to you by an authority. When you need an authority to allow something, use 許可.
Confusing 承諾 and 承認
Both start with 承 (to receive), and both suggest some form of approval, which is why they get mixed up. The key distinction: 承諾 is accepting a request that someone personally made to you; 承認 is a formal, procedural approval that often involves a system, a stamp, or a workflow. Your manager does not 承諾 your expense report — they 承認 it. A client does not 承認 your proposal — they 承諾 it.
Decision Rule: Which Consent Word Should You Use?
Use this flowchart to choose the right word quickly:
Are you granting access or allowing an action that would normally be restricted?
YES → 許可（きょか）
e.g. 撮影許可 / アプリの許可 / 許可を得る
NO ↓
Is there a direct request or proposal from one party to another?
YES → 承諾（しょうだく）
e.g. 依頼を承諾する / ご承諾ください / 承諾書
NO ↓
Are you asking someone to understand and accept an inconvenient circumstance?
YES → 了承（りょうしょう）
e.g. ご了承ください / 了承しました [note: don't use to superiors]
NO ↓
Are you aligning with terms, an opinion, or a policy?
YES → 同意（どうい）
e.g. 利用規約に同意する / 同意書 / 個人情報への同意| Word | Direction | Register | Key phrase | Do NOT use for… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 同意 | You → terms/opinion | Neutral to formal | 〜に同意する | Accepting a personal request |
| 承諾 | You → requester | Formal | 依頼を承諾する | Acknowledging circumstances |
| 了承 | Authority → recipient | Formal (caution with direction) | ご了承ください | Replying upward to superiors |
| 許可 | Authority → recipient | Neutral to formal | 許可を得る / 許可する | Personal consent to terms |
Quick Quiz
Choose the correct word for each blank: 同意, 承諾, 了承, 許可.
1. アプリをインストールすると、位置情報へのアクセス______を求められた。
When I installed the app, I was asked for ______ to access my location.
2. 利用規約に______しなければ、サービスを利用できません。
You cannot use the service unless you ______ to the Terms of Service.
3. 上司からの転勤の依頼を______し、来月から大阪勤務になる。
I ______ my boss’s request for a transfer, and will be based in Osaka from next month.
4. システムメンテナンスによるサービス停止について、ご______ください。
Please ______ the service outage due to system maintenance.
5. 境内での撮影は事前に______が必要です。
Photography within the grounds requires ______ in advance.
6. 「先ほどご連絡した件、______いただけますでしょうか。」
“Regarding the matter I contacted you about earlier, would you be able to ______ it?”
Answers: 1. 許可 / 2. 同意 / 3. 承諾 / 4. 了承 / 5. 許可 / 6. 承諾
These four words appear every time you fill in a form, reply to a business email, ask for permission at a facility, or navigate a workplace request in Japan. Bookmarking this guide and reviewing the decision flowchart before your next email will help you reach for the right word naturally over time.
Are there any phrases in this group that you have seen in a context that confused you? Leave a comment below — we read every one and use your questions to improve future articles.
If you are working on business Japanese or preparing for JLPT N3 and N2, consider booking a lesson with a native Japanese tutor on italki. Practising these nuanced words in real email exchanges and roleplay scenarios with a tutor is one of the fastest ways to build the instinct for which word fits each situation.
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