How to Say ‘Won't you do it for me?; can you?’ in Japanese
くれない？
kure nai
[koo-reh nai]
💬 Usage Tip: [〜くれない？] literally means “won’t you do ... for me?” but naturally it means “could you?” in a casual, friendly way.
🇯🇵 In Japan: This pattern is common among friends. It can sound warm and close, because it shows you are asking for someone’s help personally.
Phrase Breakdown
くれ
kure
[koo-reh]
give me; do for me
From くれる; used when asking someone to do something for you.
少し待ってくれない？
Could you wait a moment for me?
ない
nai
[nai]
not
Negative ending. In questions like くれない？ it softens a request: 'won't you...?'
今日は行かない。
I won't go today.
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