Japanese Grammar: お~ください (Polite Requests)

Japanese Grammar: お~ください (Polite Requests)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

A respectful way to ask or invite someone to do something.

🎯 Primary Function

To make a polite request or invitation using honorific Japanese (Sonkeigo).

📋 Grammar Structure

お + Verb [masu-stem] + ください
Not applicable. This structure is only used with verbs.
Not applicable. This structure is only used with verbs.
お + Verb [stem] + にならないでください (Rarely used in this form; usually ~ないでください is used instead).

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used frequently in business meetings, high-end shops, and when speaking to superiors.

😊 Informal Situations

Not used with friends or family; it sounds too stiff and overly formal for casual settings.

✍️ Written Language

Standard for formal signs, instruction manuals, and business emails.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Common in formal announcements and professional face-to-face interactions.

💡 Common Applications

Public Announcements
Used in stations or stores to give polite instructions to the general public.
Example: 白線の内側までお下がりください (Please step back behind the white line).
Customer Service
Commonly used by staff to address customers in a polite and professional manner.
Example: こちらをお使いください (Please use this).
Business Emails/Formal Writing
Used in formal correspondence to request actions from clients or superiors.
Example: ご検討ください (Please consider it).
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4 (Intermediate)
Example Sentences
Example #1
少々お待ちください。
Furigana: しょうしょう おま ちください。
Romaji: Shōshō omachi kudasai.
English: Please wait a moment.
Example #2
こちらにお名前とご住所をお書きください。
Furigana: こちらにおなまえとごじゅうしょをおかきください。
Romaji: Kochira ni onamae to gojūsho o okaki kudasai.
English: Please write your name and address here.
Example #3
どうぞ、中にお入りください。
Furigana: どうぞ、なかにおはいりください。
Romaji: Dōzo, naka ni ohairi kudasai.
English: Please come inside.
Example #4
空いている席にお座りください。
Furigana: あいているせきにおすわりください。
Romaji: Aite iru seki ni oswari kudasai.
English: Please sit in the empty seat.
Example #5
使う前に説明書をお読みください。
Furigana: つかうまえにせつめいしょをおよみください。
Romaji: Tsukau mae ni setsumeisho o oyomi kudasai.
English: Please read the instruction manual before use.
Example #6
この中からお好きな色をお選びください。
Furigana: このなかからおすきないろをおえらびください。
Romaji: Kono naka kara osukina iro o oerabi kudasai.
English: Please choose your favorite color from these.
Example #7
このペンを自由にお使いください。
Furigana: このペンをごじゆうにおつかいください。
Romaji: Kono pen o jiyū ni otsukai kudasai.
English: Please feel free to use this pen.
Example #8
足元にお気をつけください。
Furigana: あしもとにおきをつけください。
Romaji: Ashimoto ni oki o tsuke kudasai.
English: Please watch your step.
Example #9
温かいうちにお召し上がりください。
Furigana: あたたかいうちにおめしあがりください。
Romaji: Atatakai uchi ni omeshiagari kudasai.
English: Please eat while it is still warm.
Example #10
今日は家でゆっくりお休みください。
Furigana: きょうはいえでゆっくりおやすみください。
Romaji: Kyō wa ie de yukkuri oyasumi kudasai.
English: Please rest well at home today.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Suru-verb variation
Use ‘Go’ (ご) instead of ‘O’ (お) for most Sino-Japanese compound verbs (Suru-verbs).
Example: ご確認下さい (Gokakunin kudasai)
Special Honorific Verbs
Some verbs have special honorific stems used in this pattern rather than the standard masu-stem.
Example: お召し上がりください (Omeshiagari kudasai)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ お待ってください (Omatte kudasai)
✅ お待ちください (Omachi kudasai)
Wait is ‘matsu’, stem is ‘machi’. Adding ‘te’ is for the standard form (matte kudasai).
❌ お見ください (Omi kudasai)
✅ ご覧ください (Goran kudasai)
Verbs with a single-syllable stem like ‘miru’ (mi) do not use this pattern. Special honorific forms are used instead.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Sonkeigo (Honorific) – High level of respect.
Social Situations: Common in hospitality (Omotenashi) culture.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan in formal contexts.

🔍 Subtle Differences

~てください vs. お~ください
~てください is a standard polite request. お~ください is a formal, respectful request (Sonkeigo).
When to use: Use ~てください for equals/strangers in daily life; use お~ください for superiors or customers.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Only works with Group 1 and Group 2 verbs that have stems of two or more syllables. For Group 3 (Suru) verbs, the pattern changes to ‘ご + Noun + ください’.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The ‘O’ at the beginning is a prefix; pronounce it clearly but smoothly as part of the whole phrase.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of this as the ‘VIP version’ of ~てください. If you are serving a customer or talking to your boss, replace ~てください with お~ください to sound more professional.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top