〜なさい: Firm but Polite Commands in Japanese
What it means
〜なさい is a command that sounds caring and authoritative at the same time. It tells someone to do something in a way that's softer and more polite than the plain imperative (食べろ, 行け), yet it clearly comes from a position of authority. Because of that "speaking down" feeling, you use it with people below you — a child, a student, an exam-taker — but not with superiors or strangers. For those, reach for 〜てください instead.
ヤッタン、野菜を食べなさい。
ヤッタン、やさいを たべなさい。
Yattan, eat your vegetables.
Classic parent-to-child tone.
もう遅いから、早く寝なさい。
もう おそいから、はやく ねなさい。
It's late, so go to bed early.
次の問題に答えなさい。
つぎの もんだいに こたえなさい。
Answer the following question.
Standard wording in test and exam instructions.
How to form it
Drop the ます from the polite form (this is the ます-stem) and add なさい. There are no exceptions in the rule itself — even the irregular verbs are regular here:
| Verb | ます-stem | + なさい |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (eat) | 食べます → 食べ | 食べなさい |
| 行く (go) | 行きます → 行き | 行きなさい |
| 聞く (listen) | 聞きます → 聞き | 聞きなさい |
| 待つ (wait) | 待ちます → 待ち | 待ちなさい |
| する (do) | します → し | しなさい |
| 来る (come) | 来ます → 来 | 来なさい |
If you can make the ます form, you can make なさい — just swap ます for なさい.
Where you'll hear it
〜なさい lives in a few specific settings. Recognizing them helps you judge when it's appropriate.
先生はヤッタンに「よく聞きなさい」と言いました。
せんせいは ヤッタンに「よく ききなさい」と いいました。
The teacher told Yattan, 'Listen carefully.'
Teacher to student.
ヤッタンの弟、手を洗ってから来なさい。
ヤッタンの おとうと、てを あらってから きなさい。
Yattan's brother, wash your hands and then come here.
問題をよく読んで、漢字で書きなさい。
もんだいを よく よんで、かんじで かきなさい。
Read the question carefully and write in kanji.
Typical exam instruction.
なさい vs the plain imperative vs てください
These three all give orders, but the politeness and the social distance differ:
- 食べろ / 行け (plain imperative) — blunt and forceful. It can sound rough or angry, used in shouted commands, signs, or among very close friends.
- 食べなさい / 行きなさい (なさい) — firm and clear, but with a softer, almost nurturing edge. Still spoken downward, from authority.
- 食べてください / 行ってください (〜てください) — a polite request you can use with almost anyone, including people above you.
So なさい sits in the middle: more polite than the imperative, but more authoritative (and less safe with superiors) than てください.
The casual clipped form 〜な
In relaxed speech, なさい is often shortened to just 〜な, attached to the same ます-stem:
モチ、早く食べな。冷めちゃうよ。
モチ、はやく たべな。さめちゃうよ。
Mochi, hurry up and eat. It'll get cold.
Friendly, casual — shortened from 食べなさい.
This 〜な is friendly and warm, common in family talk. Do not confuse it with the prohibition 〜な, which attaches to a verb's dictionary form and means "don't": 食べるな = "don't eat." The command 食べな (stem + な) and the prohibition 食べるな (dictionary + な) look similar but are opposites — the part of the verb you attach to tells them apart.
Common mistakes
- Attaching なさい to the wrong form. It goes on the ます-stem, not the dictionary form: 行きなさい (✓), not 行く なさい (✗).
- Using it with a superior. なさい talks down, so 部長、待ちなさい sounds rude. Use 待ってください instead.
- Mixing up casual 〜な with prohibition 〜な. 食べな (stem) = "eat"; 食べるな (dictionary) = "don't eat."
- Treating it as fully polite. Even with the soft tone, なさい is still a command from authority — it is not a neutral, all-purpose polite request.
Quick recap
- ます-stem + なさい = a firm but polite command (食べなさい, しなさい, 来なさい).
- Softer than the imperative (食べろ), but still spoken downward — parents, teachers, exam instructions.
- Not for superiors; use 〜てください there.
- Casual form 〜な (食べな) is friendly — different from prohibition 〜な (食べるな = "don't").
Your turn
Form the 〜なさい command and choose when it's appropriate.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do I form 〜なさい?
Take the ます-stem (drop ます from the polite form) and add なさい. 食べます → 食べなさい, 行きます → 行きなさい, します → しなさい, 来ます → 来なさい.
Is 〜なさい polite?
It's polite compared to the blunt imperative (食べろ), but it still speaks down to the listener. Use it with children, students, or in exam instructions — not with bosses or strangers. For them, use 〜てください.
What's the difference between 食べな and 食べるな?
食べな is the casual short form of 食べなさい (stem + な) and means 'eat.' 食べるな is the prohibition (dictionary form + な) and means 'don't eat.' They attach to different forms and mean opposite things.
Why does 〜なさい appear so often on tests?
Exam and worksheet instructions are written from the authority of the test-maker to the test-taker, which is exactly the relationship 〜なさい fits: 次の問題に答えなさい ('answer the next question').