Mastering the Polite Negative Request: 〜ないでください (naide kudasai)

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Mastering the Polite Negative Request: 〜ないでください (naide kudasai)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Please do not…’ or ‘Please refrain from…’

🎯 Primary Function

To make a polite request for someone to refrain from doing an action.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (ない-form) + でください
Not applicable (This pattern is used with verbs).
Not applicable (This pattern is used with verbs).
Verb (Nai-form) + でください

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Appropriate for workplace interactions, speaking to strangers, or in professional settings.

😊 Informal Situations

May feel slightly stiff with very close friends (who use just ‘~naide’), but still useful for clear requests.

✍️ Written Language

Used in emails, instructional manuals, and warning signs.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common in daily conversation and announcements.

💡 Common Applications

Public Instructions
Used on signs or by staff to give instructions to the public.
Example: Koko de tabenaide kudasai. (Please don’t eat here.)
Personal Requests
Used to ask someone politely not to do something that might affect you or them.
Example: Wasurenaide kudasai. (Please don’t forget.)
Medical Advice
Commonly used by doctors to give advice or restrictions to patients.
Example: Osake wo nominaide kudasai. (Please don’t drink alcohol.)
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N5 (Beginner)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N5 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N5 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
ここで写真を撮らないでください。
Furigana: ここ（）で（）写（しゃ）真（しん）を（）撮（と）らないでください。
Romaji: Koko de shashin wo toranaide kudasai.
English: Please do not take photos here.
Example #2
傘を忘れないでください。
Furigana: 傘（かさ）を（）忘（わす）れないでください。
Romaji: Kasa wo wasurenaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t forget your umbrella.
Example #3
この部屋に入らないでください。
Furigana: この（）部（へ）屋（や）に（）入（はい）らないでください。
Romaji: Kono heya ni hairanaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t enter this room.
Example #4
心配しないでください。
Furigana: 心（しん）配（ぱい）しないでください。
Romaji: Shinpai shinaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t worry.
Example #5
窓を開けないでください。
Furigana: 窓（まど）を（）開（あ）けないでください。
Romaji: Mado wo akenaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t open the window.
Example #6
会議に遅れないでください。
Furigana: 会議（かいぎ）に（）遅（おく）れないでください。
Romaji: Kaigi ni okurenaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t be late for the meeting.
Example #7
そのケーキを食べないでください。
Furigana: その（）ケーキを（）食（た）べないでください。
Romaji: Sono keeki wo tabenaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t eat that cake.
Example #8
図書館で話さないでください。
Furigana: 図（と）書（しょ）館（かん）で（）話（はな）さないでください。
Romaji: Toshokan de hanasanaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t talk in the library.
Example #9
Mada ikanaide kudasai.
Furigana: まだ（）行（い）かないでください。
Romaji:
English: Please don’t go yet.
Example #10
ビールを飲みすぎないでください。
Furigana: ビールを（）飲（の）みすぎないでください。
Romaji: Biiru wo nomisuginaide kudasai.
English: Please don’t drink too much beer.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Softening the request
It is often preceded by a reason ending in ‘kara’ to make the request more persuasive or polite.
Example: Abunai desu kara, sawaranaide kudasai. (It’s dangerous, so please don’t touch.)
Request vs. Prohibition
Unlike ‘~te wa ikemasen’ (must not), which is a strict rule/prohibition, ‘~naide kudasai’ is a request for cooperation.
Example: Koko ni hairanaide kudasai. (Please don’t enter here.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Taberu de kudasai (食べるでください)
✅ Tabenaide kudasai (食べないでください)
You must use the Nai-form of the verb before ‘de kudasai’. Using the dictionary form is incorrect.
❌ Hairanai kudasai (入らないください)
✅ Hairanaide kudasai (入らないでください)
The ‘de’ is essential. Leaving it out makes the sentence grammatically incomplete in a polite context.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: This is a polite request. It is softer than a command but still clearly indicates that the action should not be performed.
Social Situations: Used by superiors to subordinates or between equals to maintain politeness while giving instructions.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan. In Kansai, you might hear different informal endings, but ‘naide kudasai’ remains the standard polite form.

🔍 Subtle Differences

~naide kudasai vs. ~te wa ikemasen
‘~naide kudasai’ is a polite request, while ‘~te wa ikemasen’ is a firm prohibition (must not).
When to use: Use ‘naide kudasai’ for requests and ‘te wa ikemasen’ for strict rules or laws.

📝 Conjugation Notes

To form this pattern, change the verb to its negative ‘Nai-form’ and add ‘de kudasai’. Remember Group 1 verb endings change (u -> a), Group 2 verbs drop ‘ru’, and irregulars (Suru -> Shinai, Kuru -> Konai).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure a slight pause or steady rhythm between ‘naide’ and ‘kudasai’ to ensure the ‘de’ is clearly heard.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘ください’ (kudasai) as ‘please’ and ‘ない’ (nai) as ‘no/not’. The ‘で’ (de) acts as the bridge connecting the negative action to the request.

Other Grammar

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