How do you say "Could you do (it) for me?" in Japanese?

"Could you do (it) for me?" in Japanese is "してもらえますか". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

What does "してもらえますか" mean in English?

"してもらえますか" means "Could you do (it) for me?" in English. Usage tip: Request pattern: [Vて + もらえますか] = “Could you do … for me?” It’s polite and friendly.

🙏❓

How to Say ‘Could you do (it) for me?’ in Japanese

してもらえますか

shi te morae masu ka

[shee teh moh-rah-eh mahs kah]

💬 Usage Tip: Request pattern: [Vて + もらえますか] = “Could you do … for me?” It’s polite and friendly.

🇯🇵 In Japan: This phrasing frames it as a favor, which sounds softer than direct commands in neighbor situations.

Phrase Breakdown

し

shi

[shee]

do (and...)

し is the stem of する (to do). Here it starts the request pattern してもらえますか (“Could you do … for me?”).

Example

少し静かにししてもらえますか。

Could you be a little quieter for me?

て

[teh]

and then (te-form)

て connects actions and is used in request patterns. して + もらえますか = “could you do … for me?”

Example

音楽を止めてしてもらえますか。

Could you stop the music for me?

もらえ

morae

[moh-rah-eh]

can receive (favor)

もらえ is the potential form of もらう (to receive). It makes the request softer: “could I receive the favor of you doing…”

Example

もう少し待ってもらえますか。

Could you wait a little longer?

ます

masu

[mahs]

polite verb ending

ます makes the request polite. もらえますか is a standard polite way to ask a favor.

Example

窓を閉めてもらえますか。

Could you close the window?

か

[kah]

question particle

か makes the sentence a polite question/request.

Example

音を小さくしてもらえますか。

Could you lower the volume?

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