Making Requests Posted by Ginny on Apr 5, 2010 in Uncategorized
To make a polite request, use the て form with ください :
急いでください = Please hurry
(いそいでください/急いでください = please hurry)
You don’t always have to use the て form with ください :
明日電話をください = please call tomorrow (literally “please phone tomorrow”)
(あした/明日 = tomorrow. でんわをください/電話をください = please call)
The reason the て form is not used is because でんわ is a noun not a verb.
To make negative requests, use ないでください :
まだケーキを食べないでください = Please don’t eat the cake yet
(まだ = yet. ケーキ = cake. を = direct object. たべてください/食べないでください = please don’t eat)
For more on the ない forms, check here : https://blogs.transparent.com/japanese/informal-forms-of-verbs/
おねがいします/おねがいします can also be used to make requests
ビール、お願いします = beer, please
(ビール = beer. おねがいします /お願いします = please)
お願いします and ください are not always interchangeable. As you advance along in your Japanese studies, you’ll get more intuitive about when to use which.
Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.