Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
By all means; definitely; certainly; please do.
🎯 Primary Function
To add emphasis to a request, invitation, recommendation, or personal desire, making it sound earnest and strong.
📋 Grammar Structure
ぜひ + [Verb in 〜てください, 〜たい, 〜ましょう, Verb-stem + に行く/来る, etc. form] ぜひ is an adverb and is typically placed before the verb or verb phrase it modifies.
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Frequently used in formal invitations and polite requests.
Informal Situations
Commonly used among friends and family for invitations and strong recommendations.
Written Language
Used in formal letters, emails, invitations, and informal notes.
Spoken Language
Very common in everyday conversation when inviting someone or making a strong recommendation.
💡 Common Applications
Inviting someone somewhere
Used when you strongly hope or want the listener to come or participate.
Example: 今度、ぜひ私の家に来てください。
Kondo, zehi watashi no uchi ni kite kudasai.
Please definitely come to my house next time.
Recommending something
Used when you strongly recommend something to the listener, encouraging them to try it.
Example: この映画、とても面白いから、ぜひ見てください。
Kono eiga, totemo omoshiroi kara, zehi mite kudasai.
This movie is very interesting, so you should definitely watch it.
Expressing personal strong desire
Used to emphasize your own strong wish or intention to do something.
Example: 私もぜひそこに行ってみたいです。
Watashi mo zehi soko ni itte mitai desu.
I definitely want to try going there too.
Frequency
Very common in both spoken and written Japanese.
Difficulty
Easy to understand the basic meaning, moderate difficulty in using it naturally in various contexts.
Example Sentences
日本へ来たら、ぜひ連絡してください。
Nihon e kitara, zehi renraku shite kudasai.
If you come to Japan, please definitely contact me.
それは面白そうですね。私もぜひ参加したいです。
Sore wa omoshirosou desu ne. Watashi mo zehi sanka shitai desu.
That sounds interesting, doesn’t it? I definitely want to participate too.
今晩、うちでパーティーがあります。ぜひ来ませんか？
Konban, uchi de paatii ga arimasu. Zehi kimasen ka?
There’s a party at my place tonight. Won’t you please come?
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Often used with requests and invitations
ぜひ frequently appears with 〜てください, 〜てくださいませんか, 〜ませんか, and other polite request/invitation forms to add warmth and earnestness.
Example: お店の新しいメニュー、ぜひ試してくださいね。
Omise no atarashii menyuu, zehi tameshite kudasai ne.
Please definitely try the restaurant’s new menu.
Used with desire/volition forms
It combines well with 〜たい (want to), 〜ましょう (let’s), and 〜たいと思っています (am thinking I want to) to emphasize the speaker’s strong intention.
Example: 来年、ぜひ海外旅行に行きたいです。
Rainen, zehi kaigai ryokou ni ikitai desu.
I definitely want to go on an overseas trip next year.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ぜひ for general future certainty
✅ Use きっと or 必ず instead.
ぜひ expresses strong personal desire or an earnest plea. It is not typically used to state that something will definitely happen in the future based on prediction or requirement, like きっと or 必ず are.
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🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Adds politeness and earnestness to requests and invitations.
Social Situations: Appropriate in various social situations, both business and casual, when showing strong desire or inviting/recommending earnestly.
Regional Variations: Universally understood and used across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
ぜひ vs きっと vs 必ず
ぜひ: Strong desire or earnest invitation/request (focus on speaker’s will or plea).
きっと: Certainty or strong belief about a future event (focus on likelihood/prediction).
必ず: Necessity or absolute certainty (focus on requirement/rule).
When to use: Use ぜひ when you really want someone to do something or you really want to do something yourself. Use きっと when you are quite sure something will happen. Use 必ず when something must happen or is guaranteed to happen.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
ぜひ is an adverb and does not conjugate.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce “ぜ” (ze) and “ひ” (hi) clearly. The pitch is relatively flat or slightly falling.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ぜひ as adding an exclamation mark or emphasis to “please do!” or “I really want to!”. Visualize yourself eagerly inviting someone or strongly recommending something.
Practice Exercises
友達を食事に誘いたいです。何と言いますか？
Tomodachi o shokuji ni sasoitai desu. Nani to iimasu ka?
(You want to invite your friend to eat. What do you say?)
きっと一緒に食事しましょう。
必ず一緒に食事しましょう。
ぜひ一緒に食事しましょう。
たぶん一緒に食事しましょう。
Which sentence uses ぜひ correctly?
明日はぜひ雨が降ります。
この本はとても面白いから、ぜひ読んでください。
来週のテストはぜひ難しいでしょう。
毎日ぜひ日本語を勉強します。
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