How to Say ‘I'd like to ask’ in Japanese
お伺いしたいんですが
o ukagai shi tai n desu ga
[oh oo-kah-gah-ee shi tie n dess gah]
💬 Usage Tip: んですが at the end works like a soft "…but", which leaves room for the other person to respond. It's a gentle way to open a request without stating it outright.
🇯🇵 In Japan: 伺う is a humble word for asking or visiting. You lower yourself slightly, so it's a polite choice when calling a business.
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific/polite prefix
A polite prefix that makes a word sound more refined or respectful.
おすすめのおは、ことばを丁寧にします。
The o in osusume makes the word more polite.
伺い
ukagai
[oo-kah-gah-ee]
to ask; to visit; to hear (humble)
A humble verb used in polite business Japanese when asking or hearing from someone.
御社の雰囲気について伺いたいです。
I would like to ask about your company's atmosphere.
し
shi
[shi]
to do
The verb for carrying out or performing an action.
そのことをしました。
I did that thing.
たい
tai
[tie]
want to do
Shows the speaker's desire to do an action.
住民登録をしたいです。
I would like to do residency registration.
ん
n
[n]
(explanatory n)
Casual form of の; adds a tone of seeking or giving an explanation, often before です.
どうしたんですか。
What happened?
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.
少し伺いたいです。
I would like to ask a little.
が
ga
[gah]
(softening ending)
Ending a sentence with ga softens a request politely.
お願いしたいんですが。
I'd like to ask a favor...
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