#Mou ichido onegai how to#

Kudasai sounds very formal when used with friends. Please take your time without any trouble. Kudasaimase is more commonly used by those identifying as females and is formed by adding – mase to the end of kudasai, allowing staff to gently command customers (who are considered above them) to do something: Kudasaimase is the polite, imperative form of kudasai used by staff in customer-service settings to make respectful requests to customers in a shop. Or in some cases, chotto matte kudasai (ちょっと待ってください）can be used to soften the phrase. Please hold for a moment (on the phone)

So instead of using the -te form and saying 待ってください its more polite to say お待ちください which is basically the difference between ‘wait please’ vs ‘just one moment please’.Ī receptionist at a hotel would never say matte kudasai (please wait) to a customer, instead they would say: In customer service settings, the verb matsu 待つ (to wait) is often used with kudasai but with it’s – masu form which is machimasu (待ちます). It would be rude if you removed kudasai from the above phrases and instead just say suwatte (sit) or koko ni sainshite (sign here), unless you were speaking to a friend. To make a simple request using kudasai, you can either say noun + kudasai or you can use the – te form of a verb as follows: You would never use kudasai to someone of superior rank within a workplace for example. Kudasai can sound quite direct compared to onegaishimasu (which we will go over next). Two draft beers please! (Two beers on tap)Īs you can see, you can specify ‘how much’ of something you’d like to request, by using the を particle followed by the counter, for example: mikan wo hitotsu kudasai (ミカンを一つください) ‘one orange please’. Though it’s not the most polite way of saying ‘please’ in Japanese, it’s fine to use kudasai when asking for something of somebody who is equal to or inferior to you in age / rank / status or when ordering something as a customer.Īt an izakaya (a Japanese pub) you could order drink by saying: Kudasai literally means ‘please give me’ and is used to make simple, neutral requests with either a verb or a noun, for example mite kudasai (look please) or kohi kudasai (coffee please). Please (give me something / do something) A note on making polite requests in Japanese Kudasai.Set phrases which use kudasai or onegaishimasu.

#Mou ichido onegai how to#

Whatever the scenario, here are the must-know phrases for how to say ‘please’ in Japanese! Understanding which word is more appropriate is just as important as memorizing the word itself!ĭo you share a close relationship with the person? Is it a formal setting where you would like to highlight the position of the listener? Perhaps you want to humble yourself when making a request or maybe you want to indicate your authority! There are also some words for ‘please’ in Japanese with more of a feminine or masculine nuance. Yes, there are many words for ‘please’ in Japanese and as always, context is king! Saying ‘please’ in Japanese can change depending on whether you’re asking for something from a friend, a child, a waitress or your boss. But what’s the difference between these two words and are there more? Asking someone for a service or favour is never complete without saying ‘please’ and i n Japanese, ‘please’ is usually translated as either onegaishimasu or kudasai.