〜てください: How to Make Polite Requests in Japanese
What it means
〜てください is the request you'll use constantly: asking someone to wait, to write something, to say it again. It's polite enough for daily life — shops, classrooms, talking to people you don't know — without being stiff.
It's built on the て-form, so if you're still shaky on that, it's worth getting solid first; once the て-form is automatic, a whole family of grammar (including this one) opens up.
Formation
Take the て-form of the verb and add ください:
| Verb | て-form | Request |
|---|---|---|
| 待つ (to wait) | 待って | 待ってください (please wait) |
| 書く (to write) | 書いて | 書いてください (please write) |
| 見る (to look) | 見て | 見てください (please look) |
Examples
ちょっと待ってください。
ちょっと まって ください。
Please wait a moment.
ここに名前を書いてください。
ここに なまえを かいて ください。
Please write your name here.
もう一度言ってください。
もう いちど いって ください。
Please say it one more time.
A lifesaver in real conversations.
この本を読んでください。
この ほんを よんで ください。
Please read this book.
The negative — "please don't"
To ask someone not to do something, use 〜ないでください (the ない-form + でください):
ここで写真を撮らないでください。
ここで しゃしんを とらないで ください。
Please don't take photos here.
心配しないでください。
しんぱい しないで ください。
Please don't worry.
So the pair is: 〜てください (please do) ↔ 〜ないでください (please don't). (More in our 〜ないでください guide.)
Making it softer or more formal
〜てください, despite the "please," can still sound a little like a direct instruction (a teacher to students, a sign to customers). To sound gentler or more deferential, you have options:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てください | standard polite request | 待ってください (please wait) |
| 〜てくださいませんか | softer, more polite ('would you…?') | 待ってくださいませんか |
| 〜ていただけませんか | very polite/humble ('could I ask you to…?') | 待っていただけませんか |
For most daily situations 〜てください is perfectly fine; reach for the longer forms when you want to be extra courteous or you're asking a real favour. (See 〜ていただけませんか.)
Dropping ください
In very casual speech among friends, ください is often dropped, leaving just the て-form: ちょっと待って ("wait a sec"). It's friendly but informal — keep ください with people you don't know well.
Common mistakes
- Getting the て-form wrong. The whole pattern rides on the て-form, so 待ちてください (✗) should be 待ってください (✓). Drill the て-form until it's automatic.
- Using 〜てください to offer something. "Please have some coffee" (offering) is better as コーヒーをどうぞ. 〜てください asks the listener to do an action.
- Forming the negative as 〜てくださいない. The negative request is 〜ないでください, not a negative on ください.
Quick recap
- 〜てください = "please do" — て-form + ください.
- Negative = 〜ないでください ("please don't").
- Softer/politer: 〜てくださいませんか, 〜ていただけませんか.
- Casual: drop ください (just the て-form).
Your turn
Form the correct てください / ないでください request.
Start the 5-question drill →Take the full N5 〜てください drill →
Frequently asked questions
How do I say 'please don't' in Japanese?
Use 〜ないでください: the ない-form of the verb + でください. For example, 入らないでください ('please don't enter').
Is 〜てください rude?
No, it's polite and standard for daily requests. It can feel a bit instructional in formal settings, where 〜てくださいませんか or 〜ていただけませんか sound softer.
Can I drop ください?
In casual speech with friends, yes — just the て-form works (ちょっと待って). Keep ください with strangers, customers, or anyone you'd speak politely to.
Does 〜てください need the て-form?
Yes — it's built on the て-form, so getting the て-form right is the key. 書いてください is correct; 書きてください is not.