JLPT N5 Requests, invitations, and suggestions
てください asks someone to do something, ないでください asks them not to, and をください requests an item. ませんか and ましょう invite someone along, ましょうか offers help, and ほうがいい gives advice. Beginners often use ましょう where ませんか would sound less pushy when inviting.
7 N5 grammar points in this group
てください (te kudasai): please do
てください asks the listener to do an action. The English "please" is a good starting translation, but the Japanese is closer to "do X for me." It is polite in form, yet it is still a clear instruction.
ここに名前を書いてください。 — Please write your name here.
をください (o kudasai): please give me
ください is the request form of くださる, a polite verb that means “give (to me).” Attached to a noun with を, it asks the listener to hand that thing over to you.
すみません、水をください。 — Excuse me, could I have some water?
ないでください (naide kudasai): please don’t do
ないでください is a request not to act. The speaker asks the listener to avoid or stop an action.
ここで写真を撮らないでください。 — Please don't take photos here.
ませんか (masen ka): would you or shall we
ませんか is ません (the polite negative ending) plus か (the question particle). In most everyday sentences it has nothing to do with negation. It's an invitation or an offer.
一緒に映画を見ませんか。 — Would you like to watch a movie together?
ましょう (mashou): let’s or shall we
ましょう is the polite volitional form of a verb: the form that expresses the speaker’s will.
一緒に行きましょう。 — Let’s go together.
ましょうか (mashouka): shall I
ましょうか has three everyday jobs:
手伝いましょうか。 — Shall I help you?
ほうがいい (hou ga ii): had better or should
You use ほうがいい to point someone toward the better choice.
かぜですか。早く寝たほうがいいですよ。 — Do you have a cold? You should go to bed early.
Often confused in this group
- はずだ vs べきだ vs ほうがいい — All three translate as 'should': はずだ is what you expect, べきだ is what's right, ほうがいい is advice. 3時に着くはずだ = it should arrive at 3.