In Japanese, there are two main ways to structure a polite request, you can use the direct request form, or an indirect request form.
Direct requests use 〜てください[te kudasai] and are used to make requests like “Please open the window.”
Indirect requests use 〜てくれませんか[te kuremasen ka] are technically questions, so they’re more like “Can you open the window?”
These basic structures come with variations, depending on the level of politeness and formality, and there are some rules to learn that will help you choose between them. Ready to have a look? Let’s dive in!
When you want to make a direct request that is still polite, you can use 〜てください[te kudasai]. You’ll use this structure where, in English, you would say “please do this” or “please don’t do that.”
There are two parts of the direct request structure: the te-form of a verb and the word ください(kudasai), meaning “please.”
Requested action
te-form
ください
kudasai
please
明日のパーティに来てください。
Ashita no pātī ni kite kudasai.
Please come to the party tomorrow.
窓を開けてください。
Mado o akete kudasai.
Please open the window.
Let’s look at some examples!
Verb group | Dictionary form | 〜てください[te kudasai] |
|---|---|---|
U-verb | 書く kaku to write | 書いてください kaite kudasai please write |
泳ぐ oyogu to swim | 泳いでください oyoide kudasai please swim | |
Ru-verb | 見る miru to look | 見てください mite kudasai please look |
Irregular | する suru to do | してください shite kudasai please do |
くる kuru to come | きてください kite kudasai please come |
The word ください[kudasai], often translated as “please,” is the imperative form of the verb くださる[kudasaru], a word that is added to an action to imply that it’s done as a favor. So you might more literally translate ください[kudasai] as “Do me a favor and…'
The word ださる[kudasaru] itself is the respectful form of the verb くれる[kureru], meaning “to give.”
ください[kudasai] can also be written as 下さい in Kanji.
Although 〜てください[te kudasai] is used for polite requests, it still sounds direct. It’s most acceptable to make a direct request where that kind of request is expected. For instance, a student can use it when asking a favor of their teacher.
先生、この問題の答えを教えてください。
Sensei, kono mondai no kotae o oshiete kudasai.
Teacher, please tell me the answer to this question.
However, in situations where it’s not common to make such a request, it might come across as slightly impolite or inappropriate. Let's look at another example:
すみません、駅までの行き方を教えてください。
Sumimasen, eki made no ikikata o oshiete kudasai.
Excuse me, please tell me how to get to the station.
If you want to play it safe, it’s best to use the indirect request form 〜てくれませんか[te kuremasen ka], which we’ll talk about below!
The word どうぞ[dōzo] can be added to emphasize the request and make it more polite.
どうぞ明日のパーティに来てください。
Dōzo ashita no pātī ni kite kudasai.
Please do come to the party tomorrow.
〜てください[te kudasai] can also be used to offer something. In such cases, the phrase (もし)よかったら [(moshi) yokattara](if you like) is often used together.
お菓子があるので、(もし)よかったら食べてください。
Okashi ga aru node, (moshi) yokattara tabete kudasai.
There are some snacks, so if you'd like, please have some.
To ask someone to “please not do something” in Japanese, you can just use negative te-form before ください[kudasai]. In this case, the negative te-form is formed by combining the plain negative form with で[de].
Negative verb
plain form
で
de
ください
kudasai
食べないでください
tabenaide kudasai
please don’t eat
Since most negative forms end in 〜ない[nai], you’ll sometimes see this discussed as a single negative ending, 〜ないでください[naide kudasai]. Let’s look at some more examples!
Dictionary form | Negative request |
|---|---|
読む yomu to read | 読まないでください yomanaide kudasai please don’t read |
忘れる wasureru to forget | 忘れないでください wasurenaide kudasai please don’t forget |
する suru to do | しないでください shinaide kudasai please don’t do (it) |
くる kuru to come | こないでください konaide kudasai please don’t come |
Like its positive equivalent, 〜ないでください[naide kudasai] is used to ask somebody not to do something in a direct yet polite way.
ドアを閉めないで下さい。
Doa o shimenaide kudasai.
Please don’t close the door.
エアコンを消さないで下さい。
Eakon o kesanaide kudasai.
Please don’t turn off the AC.
The phrase おねがいします[onegai shimasu] also means “please” in Japanese, and can sometimes be used to make a request. Here’s when to use it:
If you are requesting a tangible thing, as when ordering something at a restaurant, then ください[kudasai] and おねがいします[onegai shimasu] are interchangable. Just use the particle を[o] between the noun you’re requesting and the word for “please.”
コーヒーをください。
Kōhī o kudasai.
Coffee, please.
コーヒーをおねがいします。
Kōhī o onegai shimau.
Coffee, please.
After a noun, you’ll sometimes even use ちょうだい[chōdai], the casual version of ください[kudasai]. When using this, the particle を[o] is frequently omitted as well.
あめちょうだい。
Ame chōdai.
Candy please.
If you’re asking for an intangible thing, you’ll need to use おねがいします[onegai shimasu]. ください[kudasai] cannot be used to ask for intangible things.
✅ 自由席、おねがいします。
Jiyūseki, onegai shimasu.
Non-reserved seat, please.
❌ 自由席、ください。
Jiyūseki, kudasai.
If requesting an action, you’ll need to use ください[kudasai].
✅ 食べてください。
Tabete kudasai.
Please eat (it).
❌ 食べておねがいします。
Tabete onegai shimasu.
Though direct requests with ください[kudasai] are always polite, there are some more or less formal variations that you can use. Let’s have a look!
In informal speech, such as when asking friends or family, it is common to omit ください[kudasai], as it is not necessary to be overly polite. Remember, you’ll still need to use the te-form for the requested action!
ペン、貸して。
Pen, kashite.
Lend me a pen.
使わないで。
Tsukawanaide.
Don’t use (it).
Another way to be a little less formal is to replace ください[kudasai] with a less formal equivalent:
Male speakers tend to use くれ[kure]:
ペン、貸してくれ。
Pen, kashite kure.
Lend me a pen.
使わないでくれ。
Tsukawanaide kure.
Don’t use (it).
Female speakers more often use ちょうだい[chōdai]:
その本、取ってちょうだい。
Sono hon, totte chōdai.
Pass me that book.
These two informal forms can also be considered as the plain form of 〜てください[te kudasai]. They are used to indirectly quote requests.
部長が資料を持ってきて(くれ)とおっしゃっています。
Buchō ga shiryō o motte kite (kure) to osshatte imasu.
The manager is requesting that you bring the documents.
In situations where it is necessary to show more deference, like when making a direct request to a superior or customer, you’ll want to use an honorific request form. To form these kinds of requests, add お[o] to the beginning of the masu stem of the verb (the polite form with the ます[masu] ending removed), then follow that with ください[kudasai].
お
o
Verb
masu stem
ください
kudasai
Note, though, that you cannot make negative honorific requests! Let’s look at some examples.
Dictionary form | Polite form | Honorific request |
|---|---|---|
待つ matsu to wait | 待ちます machimasu to wait | お待ちください omachi kudasai please wait |
休む yasumu to rest | 休みます yasumimasu to rest | お休みください oyasumi kudasai please rest |
降りる oriru to get off | 降ります orimasu to get off | お降りください o'ori kudasai please get off |
Some verbs, such as 来る[kuru](to come), する[suru](to do), and 見る[miru](to look), have special, irregular honorific forms. For these verbs, you need to use the te-form of their special honorific form before ください[kudasai] instead.
いらっしゃってください。
Irasshatte kudasai.
Please come.
召し上がってください。
Meshiagatte kudasai.
Please eat.
ご覧になってください。
Goran ni natte kudasai.
Please look.
This honorific request form is often used for formal instructions.
ここにお名前をお書きください。
Koko ni onamae o okaki kudasai.
Please write your name here.
靴を脱いでお入りください。
Kutsu o nuide ohairi kudasai.
Please take off your shoes and enter.
It can also be used to suggest actions that would be beneficial to the listener themselves.
サンプルはご自由にお取りください。
Sanpuru wa gojiyū ni otori kudasai.
Please take samples freely.
困ったことがありましたら、ボタンを押してお呼びください。
Komatta koto ga arimashitara, botan o oshite oyobi kudasai.
If you have any trouble, please press the button and call for assistance.
To increase politeness and create a more gentle tone, you can add ませ[mase] at the end of the sentence. ませ[mase] is the imperative form of the ending of the verb polite form ます[masu]. This phrase is commonly used in business settings.
サンプルはご自由にお取りくださいませ。
Sanpuru wa gojiyū ni otori kudasai mase.
Please feel free to take samples.
When you step into a store in Japan, the staff will likely greet you with the phrase:
いらっしゃいませ
irasshaimase
welcome (to our store)
This expression is created by adding ませ[mase] to the respectful verb いらっしゃる[irassharu](to come). It used to be a way to attract people on the street to visit their business. However, as times changed, it gradually transitioned to being used inside the store as a greeting when a customer walks in.
In a situation where you want to be a little more polite and considerate about making a request, you can phrase your request as a question, much like you might say “can you…?” in English. To make such indirect requests in Japanese, you’ll most often use the ending 〜てくれませんか[te kuremasen ka].
Requests with this ending are created using three parts:
Taken literally, then, requests like this mean something like “won’t you do me a favor and…?” Let’s look at some examples:
レポートをチェックしてくれませんか？
Repōto o chekku shite kuremasen ka?
Can you check the report (for me)?
すみません、もう少しゆっくり話してくれませんか？
Sumimasen, mōsukoshi yukkuri hanashite kuremasen ka?
Excuse me, can you speak a bit slower?
You can ask someone not to do something by using the negative te-form before 〜てくれませんか[te kuremasen ka]. Here, the negative te-form is also formed by combining the plain negative form + で[de].
エアコンを消さないでくれませんか？
Eakon o kesanaide kuremasen ka?
Can you not turn off the AC?
会議があるので、この部屋は使わないでくれませんか？
Kaigi ga aru node, kono heya wa tsukawanaide kuremasen ka?
Since we’re going to have a meeting, can you not use this room?
Though all indirect requests are polite, there are some ways to vary the structure to show a little more or less deference. Let’s look at a few of these patterns!
If you want to be slightly more polite, you can replace the giving verb くれる[kureru], in an indirect request, with receiving verb もらう[morau]. In this use, the verb もらう[morau] has to be in the potential form, meaning the complete form of this ending is 〜てもらえませんか[te moraemasen ka].
レポートをチェックしてもらえませんか？
Repōto o chekku shite moraemasen ka?
Can you check the report (for me)?
エアコンを消さないでもらえませんか？
Eakon o kesanaide moraemasen ka?
Can you not turn off the AC?
Though the most polite way to make an indirect request is to ask a negative question (“Won’t you do me a favor and…?”) you can also use a positive question (“Will you do me a favor and…?”). When doing this, you just replace the negative verbs くれません[kuremasen] or もらえません[moraemasen] with their positive versions: くれます[kuremasu] or もらえます[moraemasu].
手伝ってくれますか？
Tetsudatte kuremasu ka?
Can you help me?
→
手伝ってもらえますか？
Tetsudatte moraemasu ka?
Can you help me?
見ないでくれますか？
Minaide kuremasu ka?
Can you not look (at it)?
→
見ないでもらえますか？
Minaide moraemasu ka?
Can you not look (at it)?
You can also increase or decrease the level of formality by using the plain or honorific form of the giving or receiving verb.
In informal situations, such as when asking your friends or family to do something, you can use the plain form of the giving or receiving verb to make a request.
Plain Forms (less formal) | ||
|---|---|---|
Question type | Using くださる[kudasaru] | Using いただく[itadaku] |
Negative question | 手伝ってくれない？ Tetsudatte kurenai? | 手伝ってもらえない？ Tetsudatte moraenai? |
Positive question | 手伝ってくれる？ Tetsudatte kureru? | 手伝ってもらえる？ Tetsudatte moraeru? |
English | Can you help me? | |
In a situation where you want to show some extra deference, like asking your boss or professor to do something, you can use the honorific forms of くれる[kureru] and もらう[morau]: くださる[kudasaru] and いただく[itadaku] respectively.
Honorific Forms (more deferential) | ||
|---|---|---|
Question type | Using くださる[kudasaru] | Using いただく[itadaku] |
Non-negative question | 手伝ってくださいますか？ Tetsudatte kudasaimasu ka? | 手伝っていただけますか？ Tetsudatte itadakemasu ka? |
Negative question | 手伝ってくださいませんか？ Tetsudatte kudasaimasen ka? | 手伝っていただけませんか？ Tetsudatte itadakemasen ka? |
English | Could you (please) help me? | |
In this post, we’ve covered how to make requests in Japanese. Here are the most important things to remember:
Use the te-form + ください[kudasai] to make a request like “Please do this” or “Please don’t do that.”
Use the te-form + くれませんか[kuremasen ka] or the te-form + もらえませんか[moraemasen ka] to make a request like “Can you do this?” or “Can you not do that?”
It’s possible to make slight changes to each structure that reflect exactly how formal or deferential you want to be, when making your request.
Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Check out our Japanese request exercises and test your skills! Thank you very much for reading, and happy learning!
