# てください: please do > Learn how to use てください, a JLPT N5 Japanese grammar point meaning please do, with structure, nuance, examples, mistakes, and comparisons. JLPT level: N5 · Updated: 2026-05-17 · Canonical: https://hane-app.com/blog/n5-te-kudasai/ **てください** means **please do**. It is a **JLPT N5** Japanese grammar pattern used to make a polite request for an action. This grammar point appears often in beginner conversations, classroom Japanese, and JLPT-style questions. If you want to make a polite request for an action, **てください** is a useful pattern to learn because it helps you build natural basic sentences. ## What does てください mean? Use **てください** when you want to make a polite request for an action. Natural translations include: - please do - please do - please do The exact English translation changes with context. Focus on the role of the grammar point in the sentence first, then choose the English phrase that sounds natural. ## How to form てください
Verb て-form + ください
Examples of the pattern: - 見みてください - 書かいてください - 待まってください Pay attention to the word form before and after the pattern. Many beginner mistakes happen because the meaning is understood, but the grammar is attached to the wrong form. ## When is てください used? Use **てください** in situations like: - classroom instructions - polite requests - asking for help Tone and register: - polite but direct - Common in daily speech, textbook examples, and beginner JLPT questions ## てください example sentences
ここに名前なまえを書かいてください。
Please write your name here.
polite request
少すこし待まってください。
Please wait a moment.
polite request
この漢字かんじを読よんでください。
Please read this kanji.
classroom
ドアを閉しめてください。
Please close the door.
instruction
もう一度いちど言いってください。
Please say it one more time.
polite request
Read the Japanese sentence first, then check the English translation. Try to notice what the grammar point contributes: question, contrast, reason, time limit, suggestion, negation, comparison, or obligation. ## Nuance of てください The key nuance is **a clear request for someone to do an action**. This matters because beginner Japanese often uses small words and endings to show meaning that English expresses with word order or helper verbs. For **てください**, the sentence can change a lot depending on placement and context. For example: - In conversation, it helps the listener understand a clear request for someone to do an action. - Compared with **をください**, it has a different job even when the English translation looks close. ## てください vs をください Both **てください** and **をください** can express related ideas, but they are different.
てください
requests an action
uses verb て-form
名前なまえを書かいてください。
Please write your name.
vs
をください
requests an item
uses noun + を
水みずをください。
Please give me water.
Quick contrast examples: - 名前なまえを書かいてください。— Please write your name. - 水みずをください。— Please give me water. If you are unsure which one to use, ask what the sentence is trying to do: ask a question, connect ideas, show a reason, mark time, make an invitation, compare two things, or express obligation. ## Common mistakes with てください
❌
名前なまえを書かくください
✅
名前なまえを書かいてください
Using dictionary form before ください is incorrect.
❌
水みずを飲のんでください (when asking for the object itself)
✅
水みずをください
Use をください to ask for objects, not てください.
❌
Forgetting that てください can sound like an instruction depending on tone
✅
Be mindful of tone and context when using てください.
Depending on delivery and context, てください can sound like a direct instruction.
A good study habit is to write one short sentence and then change only the grammar point. This makes the difference between similar patterns easier to feel. ## Is てください on the JLPT?
N5

Yes. てください is commonly taught as JLPT N5 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

  • recognize it in reading
  • understand its nuance in context
  • use it in simple original sentences

For test preparation, do not only memorize the English gloss. Practice identifying the words around the grammar point, because JLPT questions often test structure and context together.

## Practice questions for てください
1
Ask someone to wait.
production
2
Ask someone to write their name.
production
3
Ask someone to say it again.
production
Keep the sentences short at first. Once the form feels natural, add time words, places, reasons, or contrast to make the sentence more realistic. ## Learning path for てください
1
Understand the social force of the sentence: request, invitation, permission, prohibition, advice, or necessity. Then practice changing the ending to make the sentence softer, stronger, positive, or negative.
2
Make one short sentence with てください.
3
Compare it with をください. These patterns are close enough that choosing between them helps you understand the nuance.
4
Add ないでください or てもいいです to see how the basic meaning changes.
5
For practice, keep the sentence short: write one example with てください, one example with a different subject or time word, and one example that contrasts it with a related pattern below.
## Related grammar to review next - [をください](/blog/n5-o-kudasai/) — contrasts request, permission, prohibition, advice, and obligation strength. - [ないでください](/blog/n5-naide-kudasai/) — contrasts request, permission, prohibition, advice, and obligation strength. - [てもいいです](/blog/n5-temo-ii-desu/) — contrasts request, permission, prohibition, advice, and obligation strength. - [てはいけない](/blog/n5-te-wa-ikenai/) — contrasts request, permission, prohibition, advice, and obligation strength. ## Learn てください with Hane If you want to review **てください** together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions. Browse more lessons here: - [All grammar lessons](/blog/) - [JLPT N5 grammar lessons](/blog/n5/)