How to Say ‘Please.’ in Japanese
お願いします。
o negai shi masu
[oh neh-guy shee mahs]
💬 Usage Tip: [お願いします] literally relates to "I request it," but in real life it often simply means "please" or "yes, please."
🇯🇵 In Japan: This is one of the safest polite phrases in Japan. At a massage, you can use it when accepting treatment, making a request, or asking for a favor.
Phrase Breakdown
お願い
o negai
request; favor
Part of the polite phrase for asking someone to do something.
お願いがあります。
I have a favor to ask.
Words in this phrase
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix
Adds politeness to the following word.
おがあるので、お願いしますは丁寧です。
Because it includes o, onegaishimasu is polite.
願い
negai
[neh-guy]
request; favor
Part of a polite request expression.
願いが入ったお願いしますは、相手に頼む言い方です。
Onegaishimasu, which includes negai, is a way to ask someone for something.
します
shi masu
do; make
From する; in this phrase it combines with お願い to make a polite request.
よろしくお願いします。
Please take care of me / Nice to meet you.
Words in this phrase
し
shi
[shee]
do
The stem of する within the polite request phrase.
お願いしますのしは、するの形です。
The shi in onegaishimasu is the form from suru.
ます
masu
[mahs]
polite verb ending
Makes the expression formal and polite.
お願いしますのますで、丁寧な感じになります。
With masu in onegaishimasu, it sounds polite.
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