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N4Lesson notes · Oct 4, 2026

勝手かってに (katte ni) meaning: "without asking", "on its own", and 勝手かってにしろ

勝手かってに (かってに, katte ni) means "without asking" or "on one's own": 勝手かってに使つかわないで means "Don't use it without asking". It can also mean "by itself, without anyone deciding": 勝手かってに涙なみだが出でた, "tears came on their own". The angry phrase 勝手かってにしろ means "Do whatever you want, then!"

勝手かって is a small word with a strong opinion inside it. Most of the time it points at someone who decided something alone when they should have asked: a roommate eating your food, a coworker changing a plan, a sibling borrowing your clothes. But it also has a gentler meaning, things happening by themselves, and a very polite one in business emails. This post walks through each use with examples you will actually hear.

What does 勝手かってに mean?

What does "without permission" sound like?

勝手かってに + verb means someone did it without asking or without consulting others. It is usually a complaint.

勝手かってに私わたしのケーキを食たべないで! — Don't eat my cake without asking! (casual, annoyed) 彼かれは相談そうだんしないで、勝手かってに決きめた。 — He decided on his own without consulting anyone. (casual, critical)

The second sentence shows the core feeling: the problem is not the action itself, but that it was done alone. 勝手かってに is how Japanese names that problem.

How do you ask "Is it OK if I...?" to avoid being 勝手かって?

Ask 〜てもいいですか? first. It is the polite way to avoid doing something 勝手かってに.

このペン、使つかってもいいですか? — May I use this pen? (polite, asking first)

If permission phrases are new, see 〜てもいいですか.

Can 勝手かってに mean "by itself"?

Yes. With things that happen without anyone deciding, 勝手かってに means "on its own" or "automatically".

ドアが勝手かってに開ひらいた。 — The door opened by itself. (casual, surprised or spooky) 映画えいがを見みていたら、勝手かってに涙なみだが出でてきた。 — While watching the movie, tears came on their own. (casual, emotional)

This is common in emotional scenes: 勝手かってに体からだが動うごいた, "my body moved on its own", is a classic line when a character jumps in to save someone without thinking.

What does 勝手かってにしろ mean?

Is 勝手かってにしろ rude?

Yes. 勝手かってにしろ (かってにしろ) means "Do whatever you want!", said in anger or frustration when someone will not listen. しろ is the rough command form of する.

もういい、勝手かってにしろ! — Fine, do whatever you want! (rough, an argument ending) 勝手かってにすれば? — Do as you like, then. (casual, cold and sulky)

勝手かってにすれば is a little softer in grammar, but in tone it is just as cold. In anime, 勝手かってにしろ is the line a parent or mentor says right before storming out. For more rough commands like this, see shut up in Japanese.

What does 勝手かってにさせて mean?

勝手かってにさせて means "Let me do it my way" or "leave me to it". It is a plea for freedom, often from a teenager or a stubborn character.

私わたしの人生じんせいなんだから、勝手かってにさせて。 — It's my life, so let me do what I want. (casual, defiant)

What other words come from 勝手かって?

What does 自分勝手じぶんかって mean?

自分勝手じぶんかって (じぶんかって) means "selfish": doing whatever suits yourself without thinking of others. It is a な-adjective and a real criticism.

あの人ひとは自分勝手じぶんかってだ。 — That person is selfish. (casual, strong criticism) 自分勝手じぶんかってな行動こうどうはやめてください。 — Please stop acting selfishly. (polite, a warning)

Its close relative is わがまま, which is also "selfish" but often used for children and spoiled behavior. 自分勝手じぶんかって sounds more adult and more serious.

What is 使い勝手つかいがって?

使い勝手つかいがって (つかいがって) means "ease of use" or "usability". Here 勝手かって is about convenience, and the word is common in product reviews.

このアプリは使い勝手つかいがってがいい。 — This app is easy to use. (casual, a review) 使い勝手つかいがってが悪わるい。 — It's awkward to use. (casual, a complaint)

Note the sound change: 勝手かって becomes がって after 使つかい.

What does 勝手かってながら mean in an email?

勝手かってながら (かってながら) means "I know this is one-sided, but...", a very polite cushion in business writing. Shops also use it on notices: 勝手かってながら本日ほんじつは休業きゅうぎょういたします, "We apologize, but we will be closed today."

誠まことに勝手かってながら、本日ほんじつは休業きゅうぎょういたします。 — We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are closed today. (very formal, a shop notice)

This is the opposite of the angry 勝手かってにしろ: the speaker admits their own 勝手かって to sound humble. It is also used in cancellations; see how to cancel a reservation in Japanese.

What is 勝手口かってぐち?

勝手口かってぐち (かってぐち) is the kitchen door or back door of a Japanese house. In older usage, 勝手かって also meant the kitchen.

Beyond the basics

How is 勝手かってに different from 自分じぶんで?

自分じぶんで (じぶんで) means "by myself" neutrally. 勝手かってに adds "without asking", which is critical.

自分じぶんで料理りょうりを作つくりました。 — I made the meal myself. (neutral, proud) 勝手かってに料理りょうりを作つくりました。 — I made the meal without asking. (sounds like an apology or confession)

If you mean "on my own" in a positive way, use 自分じぶんで or 一人ひとりで.

Quick reference

Phrase Reading Meaning Tone
勝手かってに〜 かってに〜 without asking critical
勝手かってに〜 (things) かってに〜 by itself neutral, emotional
勝手かってにしろ かってにしろ do whatever you want! angry, rough
勝手かってにさせて かってにさせて let me do it my way defiant
自分勝手じぶんかって じぶんかって selfish strong criticism
使い勝手つかいがって つかいがって ease of use neutral
勝手かってながら かってながら I know this is one-sided very polite
勝手口かってぐち かってぐち kitchen door neutral

Common mistakes

  • Using 勝手かってに for "by myself" in a positive sense. It sounds like "without asking". Use 自分じぶんで.
  • Saying 勝手かってにしろ jokingly to a stranger. It is an angry line.
  • Reading 使い勝手つかいがって as 使つかいかって. The sound changes to がって.
  • Confusing 自分勝手じぶんかって with わがまま. Both are "selfish", but わがまま is often for children and spoiled behavior.
  • Missing the politeness of 勝手かってながら. On a notice, it is an apology, not an accusation.

Practice

Try each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair: 勝手かってに with a person versus with a thing.

1. Say "Don't eat my cake without asking!" casually.

Show answer

勝手かってに私わたしのケーキを食たべないで! — 勝手かってに means without permission.

2. Ask politely before using a pen, so you are not being 勝手かって.

Show answer

このペン、使つかってもいいですか? — asking first is the polite alternative.

3. Say "He decided on his own without consulting anyone."

Show answer

彼かれは相談そうだんしないで、勝手かってに決きめた。 — with a person, 勝手かってに criticizes acting alone.

4. Say "The door opened by itself."

Show answer

ドアが勝手かってに開ひらいた。 — with a thing, 勝手かってに means "on its own". This is the pair to question 3.

5. In an anime argument, a character shouts 勝手かってにしろ. What do they mean?

Show answer

"Do whatever you want!" — an angry way to stop arguing.

6. Say "That person is selfish."

Show answer

あの人ひとは自分勝手じぶんかってだ。 — 自分勝手じぶんかって is a serious criticism.

7. Praise an app: "It's easy to use."

Show answer

使い勝手つかいがってがいい。 — 使い勝手つかいがって means usability, read つかいがって.

8. A shop sign says 誠まことに勝手かってながら、本日ほんじつは休業きゅうぎょういたします. What does it mean?

Show answer

"We apologize, but we are closed today." — 勝手かってながら humbly admits the inconvenience.

9. You want to say proudly "I made it myself." 自分じぶんで or 勝手かってに?

Show answer

自分じぶんで — 勝手かってに would sound like you did it without permission.

10. Say "While watching the movie, tears came on their own."

Show answer

映画えいがを見みていたら、勝手かってに涙なみだが出でてきた。 — 勝手かってに for something that happens without deciding.

FAQ

What does katte ni mean? Without permission, on one's own, or by itself. 勝手かってに使つかわないで is "don't use it without asking".

What does 勝手かってにしろ mean? "Do whatever you want!", said angrily. It is rough and ends an argument.

What does 自分勝手じぶんかって mean? Selfish, doing what suits you without thinking of others.

Is 勝手かって always negative? No. 使い勝手つかいがって (usability) is neutral, and 勝手かってながら in emails is very polite.

What is the difference between 勝手かってに and 自分じぶんで? 自分じぶんで is a neutral "by myself". 勝手かってに adds "without asking", which is usually a criticism.

What does 勝手かってに体からだが動うごいた mean? "My body moved on its own", a classic anime line when a character acts without thinking, often to save someone.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

勝手に	かってに — without asking; by itself
勝手にしろ	かってにしろ — do whatever you want!
自分勝手	じぶんかって — selfish
わがまま	わがまま — selfish, spoiled
使い勝手	つかいがって — ease of use
勝手ながら	かってながら — I know this is one-sided, but
勝手口	かってぐち — kitchen door, back door
相談	そうだん — consultation, talking it over
休業	きゅうぎょう — closed for business
涙	なみだ — tears
自分で	じぶんで — by oneself

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. 勝手かってに is a word I have taught in conversation lessons, and it is a word that lets learners name a very specific feeling, someone acting without asking, in one breath. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or try the Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference dictionaries.

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