Japanese Grammar: ていただけませんか (Te Itadakemasen ka)

Japanese Grammar: ていただけませんか (Te Itadakemasen ka)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Could you please…? / Would you be so kind as to…?

🎯 Primary Function

Making a polite and humble request.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (te-form) + いただけませんか
Not applicable (Use Verb te-form instead)
Not applicable (Use Verb te-form instead)
Verb (nai-form) + でいただけませんか

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Commonly used in business, with teachers, or with people of higher social status.

😊 Informal Situations

Rarely used with close friends; might sound overly stiff or distant.

✍️ Written Language

Frequently used in formal emails and letters.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very common in polite spoken Japanese.

💡 Common Applications

Asking for help from strangers
Used when you need assistance from someone you don’t know in public.
Example: すみません、道を教えていただけませんか。
Business requests
Used to politely ask colleagues or superiors to perform a task.
Example: 資料を送っていただけませんか。
Softening a prohibition
A polite way to ask someone to stop a behavior without being confrontational.
Example: 静かにしていただけませんか。
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N4)
Example Sentences
Example #1
写真を撮っていただけませんか。
Furigana: しゃしんを とっていただけませんか。
Romaji: Shashin o totte itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please take a photo of us?
Example #2
日本語を教えていただけませんか。
Furigana: にほんごを おしえていただけませんか。
Romaji: Nihongo o oshiete itadakemasen ka?
English: Would you be so kind as to teach me Japanese?
Example #3
この漢字の読み方を教えていただけませんか。
Furigana: この かんじの よみかたを おしえていただけませんか。
Romaji: Kono kanji no yomikata o oshiete itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please tell me how to read this kanji?
Example #4
窓を開けていただけませんか。
Furigana: まどを あけていただけませんか。
Romaji: Mado o akete itadakemasen ka?
English: Would you mind opening the window?
Example #5
駅への道を教えていただけませんか。
Furigana: えきへの みちを おしえていただけませんか。
Romaji: Eki e no michi o oshiete itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please show me the way to the station?
Example #6
塩を取っていただけませんか。
Furigana: しおを とっていただけませんか。
Romaji: Shio o totte itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please pass the salt?
Example #7
もう少しゆっくり話していただけませんか。
Furigana: もうすこし ゆっくり はなしていただけませんか。
Romaji: Mou sukoshi yukkuri hanashite itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please speak a little more slowly?
Example #8
この書類を確認していただけませんか。
Furigana: この しょるいを かくにんしていただけませんか。
Romaji: Kono shorui o kakunin shite itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please check this document?
Example #9
ここにお名前を書いていただけませんか。
Furigana: ここに おなまえを かいていただけませんか。
Romaji: Koko ni onamae o kaite itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please write your name here?
Example #10
ここでタバコを吸わないでいただけませんか。
Furigana: ここで タバコを すわないでいただけませんか。
Romaji: Koko de tabako o suwanaide itadakemasen ka?
English: Could you please not smoke here?
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Humble Origin
It literally translates to ‘Could I not receive the favor of you helping me?’, emphasizing the speaker’s humility.
Example: 手伝っていただけませんか。
Softness
It is significantly more polite than ‘てください’, which can sometimes sound like a command.
Example: 教えてください (Direct) vs 教えていただけませんか (Polite)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 写真を撮ってくださいませんか。 (Less polite)
✅ 写真を撮っていただけませんか。
‘Itadaku’ is the humble form of ‘morau’; you should use the potential negative question form for the most polite request.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Very Polite (Keigo-adjacent)
Social Situations: Essential for navigating Japanese society where social hierarchy and ‘enryo’ (restraint) are important.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜てください (te kudasai)
‘te kudasai’ is a direct request/command; ‘te itadakemasen ka’ is a humble request for a favor.
When to use: Use ‘te kudasai’ for instructions; use ‘te itadakemasen ka’ for favors.
〜てもらえませんか (te moraemasen ka)
‘te moraemasen ka’ is polite, but ‘te itadakemasen ka’ is even more formal and humble.
When to use: Use ‘te moraemasen ka’ with acquaintances; use ‘te itadakemasen ka’ with superiors or strangers.

📝 Conjugation Notes

This pattern uses the Te-form of the verb followed by ‘itadakemasen ka’, which is the potential negative question form of the humble verb ‘itadaku’ (to receive).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure the ‘ka’ at the end has a rising intonation to clearly indicate a question.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of it as ‘Could I (the speaker) receive the favor of your action?’. Because you are asking to ‘receive’ something, it naturally sounds more humble than asking someone to ‘give’ you an action.

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