How to Say ‘Are there any areas you'd like me not to touch?’ in Japanese
触らないでほしいところはございますか。
sawara nai de hoshii tokoro wa gozai masu ka
[sah-WAH-rah nai deh hoh-shee to-ko-ro wah goh-zah-ee mahs kah]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese salons and massage shops routinely ask this before starting. Mention injuries or sensitive spots now, because people rarely interrupt once the session begins.
Phrase Breakdown
触らないで
sawara nai de
without touching / don't touch
Negative te-form of 触る (to touch). Pause briefly after it.
ここは触らないでください。
Please don't touch here.
Words in this phrase
触ら
sawara
[sah-WAH-rah]
touch (negative stem)
Stem of 触る (to touch), used before ない.
作品に触らないでください。
Please don't touch the artwork.
ない
nai
[nai]
not
Negative ending meaning “not.” It makes the verb before it negative.
ここでさわらないでね。
Please don't touch it here.
で
de
[deh]
(connects ない to a request)
With ない it forms ないで, meaning 'without doing / not doing'.
心配しないでください。
Please don't worry.
ほしいところは
hoshii tokoro wa
places you'd like (us) to...
〜てほしい (want someone to do) + ところ (place) + topic particle は, read 'wa'.
見てほしいところは、ここです。
The part I want you to look at is here.
Words in this phrase
ほしい
hoshii
[hoh-shee]
want someone to; want
ほしい after a te-form means the speaker wants someone else to do something.
次は決めてほしい。
I want them to score next time.
ところ
tokoro
[to-ko-ro]
place
Denotes a location or an aspect.
これはいいところです。
This is a good place.
は
wa
[wah]
topic marker
は marks the topic of the sentence.
空席はありますか。
Are there any seats available?
ございますか。
gozai masu ka
are there?
Very polite form of ありますか. The pitch rises slightly at the end of the question.
お時間はございますか。
Do you have time?
Words in this phrase
ござい
gozai
[goh-zah-ee]
to be; to exist (very polite)
A very polite version of あります, often used by staff in restaurants and hotels.
駐車場がございます。
There is a parking lot.
ます
masu
[mahs]
polite verb ending
A standard polite ending added to verbs, often used in customer service and formal speech.
予約を確認し ます。
I will confirm the reservation.
か
ka
[kah]
question particle
Turns a sentence into a question. In polite speech, か is standard for asking questions in interviews.
日本語は勉強していますか。
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