How to Say ‘Please / I ask (you)’ in Japanese
お願いします
o negai shi masu
[oh neh-gah-ee shee mahss]
💬 Usage Tip: [お願いします] comes from [願う] “to wish/ask.” It’s a versatile “please” used for requests and favors.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Common in daily life: when ordering, you can say [これお願いします] (“This, please.”).
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix (polite marker)
お is an honorific prefix that makes certain words more polite (e.g., お願い). It doesn’t translate directly but adds politeness.
おねがいします、助けてください。
Please help me.
願い
negai
[neh-gah-ee]
request; favor
願い (ねがい) means a request/wish. In お願いします, it becomes a polite way to ask: “please / I request (it).”
お願いがあります。
I have a request.
し
shi
[shee]
do (part of polite verb form)
し is the stem of する (to do). In お願いします, it forms the polite verb “to request/ask.”
宿題をお願いします。
Please take care of the homework (please do it / please handle it).
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending (present/future)
ます is a polite ending added to verbs (e.g., します). It makes the sentence polite and formal.
少し待ちます。
I will wait a bit.
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