How do you say "Could I ask for it?" in Japanese?

"Could I ask for it?" in Japanese is "お願いできますか". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘Could I ask for it?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "お願いできますか" mean in English?

"お願いできますか" means "Could I ask for it?" in English. Usage tip: [お願いできますか] is a very useful polite pattern for requests: literally "is it possible to ask?" You can swap in what you want before it, as in [写真をお願いできますか] or [別々でお願いできますか].

お願いできますか

o negai deki masu ka

[oh neh-gah-ee deh-kee mahs kah]

💬 Usage Tip: [お願いできますか] is a very useful polite pattern for requests: literally "is it possible to ask?" You can swap in what you want before it, as in [写真をお願いできますか] or [別々でお願いできますか].

Phrase Breakdown

お

[oh]

honorific prefix

Adds politeness to the request phrase.

Example

お席の変更をお願いできますか。

Could I request a change of seat?

願い

negai

[neh-gah-ee]

request; favor

The core noun in the polite request expression お願いできますか.

Example

お願いできますかと丁寧に聞きました。

I asked politely, 'Could I request that?'

でき

deki

[deh-kee]

can do

Shows whether something is possible when making a request.

Example

メッセージ追加ができるか聞きました。

I asked whether adding a message was possible.

ます

masu

[mahs]

polite ending

Makes the question formal and courteous.

Example

お願いできますかと伺いました。

I politely asked if it would be possible.

か

[kah]

question marker

Turns the polite statement into a polite question.

Example

お願いできますかと確認しました。

I confirmed by asking if it was possible.

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